The Last Destroyer: Act II
by A Mad Kat
Summary: Continued from TLD I: The Destroyer is called upon to help the Amazon Nation defeat an old and deadly enemy.  OC.  Rated for violence, language, sexuality.
1. Prison Break

ACT II

_Author's note: If you have not yet read The Last Destroyer Act I, you really should read it first before taking on this tale. Why? First of all, because TLD Act I is awesome. ;) Secondly, this story chiefly revolves around an original character and she is much more thoroughly introduced in TLD Act I. If you start here, it's unlikely that things will make much sense. And lastly, although this is a Xena fanfic, Xena and Gabrielle do not actually appear in this story, but they do in the previous one, so if you need your Xena and Gabrielle fix you should start there. As noted in TLD Act I, this story follows Season 4 continuity. This tale takes place roughly in the middle of Season 4, while Xena and Gabrielle are in India._  
_All the standard warnings from TLD Act I apply. There may be graphic violence in this story, and this ain't a kiddie Xenaverse. Issues of sexuality will also be explored much more directly in this installment. This story features both MF and FF pairings and I don't want to hear any crap about either one (you wouldn't think a het pairing could make people mad, but I've seen in happen in this fandom!). There are many more important things in this world to get worked up over than a fictional character's preferences. Lastly, if you like this story, or even if you don't, review it! Thanks and enjoy.  
_

The Queen Regent of the tribe put her head in her hands and rubbed her eyes. She knew this meeting was going to be difficult, but she had not been prepared for the strain it actually put on her when the time came. She could only assume it was the sight of the desperately injured warrior in front of her and her council.

"Eponin," Ephiny began, raising her head to look at her weapons master. "We all appreciate that you came to us today despite your condition. I'm sure you're eager to get back to the infirmary and rest…"

"My Queen, I am available as long as the War Council has need of me," the proud Amazon warrior replied hoarsely. She leaned heavily on a staff, trying not to sway on her feet. Next to her, steadying her, was Ephiny's second in command and her best friend. Eponin hid as best she could the fact that if Solari's hand was not resting stealthily on her low back, she probably would not be able to stand.

"Your dedication is without peer, Eponin. We all know this. Please tell the council what it is that you saw, and we will release you back into the healer's care." Ephiny shot a meaningful glance at Solari not to let Eponin go on any longer than necessary. Solari had already offered to take Eponin's testimony at the infirmary, but the weapons master had insisted on delivering it in person. She was concerned that she would not be believed, as it was.

Eponin cleared her throat. She found it difficult to talk, considering that she had inhaled a good deal of smoke and heat. "As you know, I was present in the squad led by Solari to dispose of the traitor shamaness, Iphianassa. We were escorting her to the border of the Amazon lands…"

_A thin, blonde woman hit the ground hard with a dull thud. She was nude and sported several bruises about her face and neck. Although her body was beautiful, her cold green-gray eyes reflected only ugliness as she looked up defiantly at her captors. She pulled herself up into a kneeling position only to be kicked roughly in the chin, sending her sprawling onto her hands again. She was much more delicately built than the Amazon warriors who stretched in front of her like a barrier. A tall, severe looking brunette stepped forward from the line, hands on her hips, and peered down at the blonde with revulsion in her eyes._

_ "Iphianassa, you are hereby banished forever from our lands for your crimes against the Amazon nation, which include but are not limited to sowing dissent both within and among the tribes, practicing forbidden sorcery, corrupting the young Amazon girls, and most seriously of all, causing injury to Amazon warriors during your 'experiments'. You are offensive to our sight and to the sight of the goddess, Artemis. You are hereby ordered to leave this place and never come back, on pain of death." Solari spat on the ground next to the disrobed shamaness. "Before we part you should know that I recommended you be executed for your crimes. You can thank the Queen Regent for your sorry life."_

_ "I always knew Ephiny was weak," Iphianassa drawled as she once again rose onto her knees. "I'll see her corpse soon enough, I'm sure."_

_ At this insult Solari made ready to charge at Iphianassa and pummel her again, but Eponin and three other warriors held her back by the arms. "She's not worth it," Eponin chided. "You know what Ephiny said. Your honor is too important to let this scum goad you into blackening your name with vengeance."_

_ "Get out," Solari growled as she pulled free from her captors. "Now." The patrol watched as the nude shamaness forced herself to her feet and began to stalk away down the path. When she was out of sight, the Amazon guard began to return to their village, save for one who stayed behind._

"This is when you decided to follow Iphianassa, despite the fact that under the law she was no longer our concern?" an elder Amazon questioned, interrupting Eponin's tale.

"I accept full responsibility for my actions," Eponin responded. "I know that once the banished has left our lands they are no longer subject to our laws, but I saw treachery in the bitch's eyes. I had to see what she would do next."

"I clear you of any wrongdoing for following Iphianassa, considering that she still was, and is, a threat to the safety of our sisters," Ephiny interjected quickly. "Continue."

_Eponin followed Iphianassa in silence. The shamaness, who had never learned the ways of a warrior in her time with the Amazons, could not detect the experienced weapons master in the trees. In time they came to the remains of an old bridge which ran over a river of lava. The lava had cooled since the last eruption and was now solid, if porous, rock. Eponin kept watch from her high perch as Iphianassa, still naked, approached the cliff's edge, next to the bridge supports, and began to murmur an incantation. Eponin, who had no knowledge of such things, narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Whatever was happening, she knew it was nothing good. Iphianassa would not have been expelled had her powers not been judged dangerous. Although it took most of the afternoon, Eponin remained where she was, still as a statue. Finally the ground shook with such violence that Eponin was nearly dislodged from her branch, and Iphianassa collapsed in a heap on the ground as if she had been struck._

_ Any hopes that Eponin had of Iphianassa having inadvertently killed herself were dashed as the blonde began to stir. The Amazon's blood suddenly ran cold as the Styx when she saw a familiar face emerge from the gorge, seeming to float up over the cliff's edge. Iphianassa quickly struggled to her knees and lowered her head to the dirt. "Goddess, you have returned! You have heard my calls and answered me at last."_

_ "You made it possible for me to return. You've done very well for yourself, Iphianassa. I will reward you handsomely when the time comes."_

_ "The ultimate reward will be seeing you return to the head of the Amazon tribes, where you belong. Artemis has abandoned us and we are led by spineless weaklings. Too long has the Queen Regent been under the influence of the false and undeserving Gabrielle."_

_ "Gabrielle." The goddess Velasca snarled at the mention of her old enemy. "Don't you worry about Gabrielle. When I am through with rebuilding the Amazon Nation she will find no friends here should she be foolish enough to return." The goddess, freed from her rocky prison after over two years, began to pace around her rescuer. "Yes. There is so much to do. And yet…" Velasca's cold blue eyes narrowed viciously. "We are not alone here."_

_ "My goddess?" Iphianassa asked fearfully._

_ "Don't worry. I would not have expected you to be able to detect an Amazon tracker. I can handle the problem myself." Without warning Velasca hurled a devastating fireball at the tree where Eponin was perched, tossing the weapons master high into the air. She landed only a few paces from Velasca's feet, scorched and bruised but still conscious._

"I did my best to kill her. I swear on my honor as a warrior I fought her as hard as I had fought any enemy in my life!"

"Take it easy," Solari whispered in Eponin's ear, feeling her friend's lack of balance. "No one expected you to kill a goddess."

"How did you survive the encounter, if this resurrected foe was truly the goddess Velasca?" the same Amazon elder asked Eponin, some doubt evident in her voice.

_Velasca laughed triumphantly as she stood over a badly burned and beaten Eponin. Eponin lay still on the ground, forcing her eyes to stay open. "Such a fool. Did you really think that you could injure me? But then again, I remember you, Eponin. I had to throw you in jail once before. You always were loyal to the weaklings. I suppose you can take solace in the fact that you'll die having tried to defend your worthless friends. They might be able to identify your body, but I'm not sure."_

_ Velasca began to form a massive fireball between her hands when suddenly the fire evaporated. The goddess swayed and dropped to her knees._

_ "My mistress, you're using too much power! You'll exhaust yourself!" Iphianassa cried, rushing over to Velasca and catching her. "We need to get to a safe location while you rediscover your strength."_

_ "I suppose you're right," Velasca agreed. "Can you finish the spy off with my knife?"_

_ Eponin knew her life depended on getting to her feet. With the last of her strength she forced herself up and into a ready stance. Even holding Velasca's weapon, Iphianassa balked. She knew she could not physically overpower Eponin even as wounded as she was. Iphianassa was weak as a kitten herself after freeing Velasca._

_ "I guess not," Velasca sighed. "Well, I don't keep you around for your fighting skills. With our combined power we should be able to – " In that moment, Velasca and Iphianassa vanished, and Eponin lost consciousness._

"I found her this morning when I realized she never came back to the village yesterday," Solari testified. "She was barely alive."

"It is with sincerest regret that I inform the council that the traitor Iphianassa has freed the goddess Velasca," Eponin coughed out before she passed out in Solari's arms.

"Get her back to her cot and don't let her leave it again. I want her fully recovered before she tries anything," Ephiny ordered, rising from her seat. Solari nodded and gingerly carried her friend out of the council's tent. When they were gone Ephiny rested her head in her hands yet again. In her short tenure as Queen Regent her responsibilities had weighed heavily on her, noticeably aging the young woman. Realizing that her war council was staring at her, Ephiny returned to her seat.

"Are we to believe it? Could Iphianassa really free Velasca from a river of solid rock?" one of the other council members, visiting from a neighboring village, asked. "I had heard she was indeed powerful, but it seems incredible."

"I have no reason to doubt Eponin," Ephiny replied. "She is one of my most trusted warriors."

"Did you trust Iphianassa as well?" the suspicious Amazon elder asked.

Ephiny shot her a withering glance. "When we took her in and offered her sanctuary we thought she was merely the victim of an abusive master. It is the mission of the Amazon Nation to assist such women and take them in if they so desire. After she revealed her powers to us I thought she might be of use, but she quickly showed her true nature. I had thought – hoped – that we had cast her out before it was too late." The elder appeared as if she would reply, but thought better of it and kept still.

"What are we to do?" another member of the council asked. "How can we possibly stand against the goddess Velasca?"

"Isn't it obvious?" a third woman answered. "We may not be as strong as she is, but our patron goddess is far stronger. We must call on Artemis for aid."

An uncomfortable silence followed. Many on the council agreed with Iphianassa's sentiment that Artemis had turned from them, but none dared say it. Ephiny rose with all the majesty she could muster and looked on the face of each and every member of the war council. "Agreed. I will go through the purification ritual at once and attempt to contact Artemis myself."

Eyes widened in shock. "My Queen, isn't it dangerous? We cannot afford to lose you in such a manner," the visiting village leader questioned. The purification ritual involved rigorous physical efforts under the influence of powerful herbs. It had been known to kill Amazon sisters on occasion.

"What choice do we have? We are without a shamaness, and I would not ask any of the apprentices to take this on without having completed their training. I must contact the goddess myself and hope that she hears our plea."


	2. In Bloom

_He came up behind her and ran his hands up and down her sides, her hips. She felt his hot breath on her neck. When he sank his teeth into the flesh of her throat they both dropped to their knees together, with his arms around her waist. Almost instinctively she put her hands on the ground to give him easier access. Releasing her waist, he gripped her gently around her hips and she felt him position himself behind her…_

"Shit!" the Destroyer yelped as she bolted awake. Her face was flushed. Panting, she brushed her hair out of her face and rubbed her forehead. The massive cat next to her stirred as his nap was disturbed by her thrashing. Dazed, she looked down at her constant companion. "Ah, sorry bro."

The large animal took one look at her and cocked his head to the side. "Again?"

The young woman blew out a breath and nodded. "Yeah. Same as last time. And, uh…" She shifted uncomfortably on her mossy spot underneath the tree where they had fallen asleep. "Mendi, buddy, could you, er, go over there for just a little while?" She indicated vaguely with her hand. "You know, sort of over there in those trees. Maybe hunt something?"

"Oh for – this is the third time today! It's really annoying to have to keep 'disappearing' every time you get that look in your eye. Can't I go back to sleep?"

"Y'know, if you went back to sleep it wouldn't be a problem, but you always look. It's weird. I don't wanna be watched when I, ah…"

"Sheesh, fine. Sorry for being curious. But this is the last time! If it happens again we're finding you a cold river and I'm throwing you in it." Mendi the giant cat padded off into the trees, leaving his companion in peace for a few moments. By the time he returned he found his best friend leaned back against the tree, grinning contentedly, her face even more flushed than before. She opened her eyes and smiled sheepishly at Mendi.

"I appreciate it, brother. If I don't, y'know, take care of it when I wake up it bugs me all day. Can't hardly sit down anywhere without thinkin' about it again."

Mendi returned to his usual spot at his companion's side. "Is it me, or is this getting worse for you? I know you've thought about this kind of thing for a long time, but it seems like lately you're going mad over it."

The Destroyer nodded. "Yeah, I mean, sure I started wanting it years ago, but it's definitely more intense now. Sometimes I have these daydreams, y'know? I see it so clearly I could almost reach out and touch the guy sometimes. When it happens, I feel this terrible ache inside, like there's a piece of me missing, a hunger I can't sate."

"Do you always think about the same human?"

Mendi's question was answered with an amused snort. "Do you always rut with the same female? Please. I get a good variety in there. I mean, it's all in my own head, right? So I might as well be adventurous."

"I've asked you this before and you never give me a good answer. If it's bothering you this much, why don't you just find a human male and get what you want for real? It's easy to find one. We see them all the time. Some of them have to be suitable, right?"

The Destroyer sighed and shook her head with an amused smirk. "It ain't like that. I tried to tell ya before, buddy. Humans do this stuff differently, not like cats. You, you just walk up and go. Then, you're done. But humans, there's a little more to it than that. There's talking, and there's all these feelings and shit that go along with it that I don't really understand but I hear they're there. You're supposed to find someone that you'd like to stay with. I mean, you don't have to. It's not a rule. But if something's good once why not do it again, right? There's a damn good reason I never took a job at a bordello. I ain't got that in me, to just go through the motions. I need a guy I can have, that I can keep."

Mendi bristled at the suggestion of having a human around all the time. "For how long?"

"Oh damn, I dunno. Didn't I just tell you I don't really understand this stuff? I've barely even spoken much to a guy, beyond a business transaction or learning the language. I've certainly never touched one, that is unless I'm kicking his ass."

The large cat butted his head up under his best friend's chin, insisting he be petted. "How old do humans have to be before they mate?"

"Depends, I guess. Some girls my age are married off already. Stupid, I know, but that's what the humans do. Anyhow, I say sixteen's plenty old enough, especially considering I grew faster than normal. That's not what's stopping me. There's somethin' else different between you an' me, somethin' important. You're a male."

"I know. I'm big and tough, and my fur is so shiny. What pretty kitty wouldn't want a piece of me?" Mendi boasted.

His friend laughed out loud and hugged him to her chest. "I'm sure if I was a female cat instead of a female, well, monster, you'd have me charmed without effort. My point is, you can just bang and walk away. You don't have to carry the result around in your belly. I have to think about things like that too."

"Couldn't you just give the baby to the human male to raise? Your mother did that."

The wild woman snarled loudly and pitched the heavy cat off of her lap. Mendi looked up at her with wide eyes and flattened ears as she leapt to her feet. "Yeah, because that worked out so well," she growled. Seeing the reaction on her companion's face she sighed and walked over to pet him. "Sorry. It's not your fault. Look, I would never, ever abandon a kid like that, all right? Leave her to be raised by some guy who barely cares about her, never has a kind word for her, who can never understand what she is and the kind of burden that places on her?"

"No, I'm sorry," Mendi replied, arching his back as he rubbed against her. "I thought you didn't like your mother. I thought you'd be happy that she wasn't around."

"I don't like my mother. I may be a monster, but she's just disgusting."

"Complicated feelings again?"

"Yeah."

The big cat shook himself out and circled his friend. "You and your complicated things. I don't understand why it can't just be easy for you and for humans. It's easy for us. We don't make such a big deal out of everything."

"Maybe so, but you do make a big deal out of food. Let's get some."

"Oh yeah!" Mendi bounded through the trees, excited at the prospect of a meal.

The Destroyer tore after him, similarly enthusiastic. She knew her friend was right. Humans did make everything too complicated. She still reveled in the simple pleasures of her life, like the feeling of her powerful legs driving her forward as she sprinted with abandon. Dahak's Destroyer gave few indications of her demonic identity in her outward appearance. She resembled many other teenage girls on first glance. One had to look closer to notice the sinewy, muscular build, the piercing brown-black eyes, and especially the pointed, fanglike canine teeth. Few ever got close enough to notice the peculiar fact that the habitual brawler had no scars on her smooth, pale skin. Just for fun, the agile young woman launched herself up a trunk with low-hanging branches and took to the trees, still at a run. A misstep on a fragile branch sent her crashing down to the forest floor again, where she landed nimbly on her hands and feet right beside her feline companion, who was sitting with his tail curled around his body. "Guess I was a little heavy for that branch," she chuckled. "Why'd you stop, bro?"

"This is a strange-looking sign," Mendi replied. He was staring up at a totem that was just half a head taller than the Destroyer. "What does it mean?"

"Well, lemme see." She looked up at the totem, which had a small wooden sign under a feathered crest. "Oh, right, it's a territory marker. It says, 'Tresspassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.'"

"Are we trespassers?" Mendi asked.

"Probably. I know what this feather business is about. These are Amazon lands. Last I checked, neither you nor I was an Amazon."

"What's an Amazon?"

"Exactly. Anyhow, let's go. Everyone knows Amazon lands have the most plentiful game. I've got a mad craving for some deer heart."

"But didn't you just say we'd get shot for being on this land? I don't like being shot. Pulling the arrow out hurts bad."

"I don't like it either, but they never have to know. Besides, if we do run into some Amazons, I'll just tell 'em we're friends with the queen."

"Are we friends with the queen?"

"Well, yeah. Doncha remember Gabrielle from a while back?" When Mendi gave her a blank stare the young woman added, "You know, the human with the stick."

"Oh, right. She didn't look like a queen to me. Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure. It was all there in her stories. She's Queen of the Amazons. Hey, enough talkin', I thought you wanted some chow?" With that, the Destroyer and Mendi entered the warrior tribe's hunting grounds, unaware that they were being watched from a high ridge to the west.


	3. The Request

"What a magnificent animal. I've never seen anything like it!" the young prince exclaimed. The man on the bald ridge overlooking the Amazon forests had no human companions, but he was surrounded by the pack of hounds he controlled. Taking an arrow from his quiver, the prince took aim with his bow at his target below, but quickly thought better of it and replaced the arrow behind him. "No, I can't make a shot like that on a moving animal through all these trees and be sure it's clean. Besides, if I could take the beast alive it would be even better! It seems to have a lady following it around. Perhaps she owns it. Perhaps she could be persuaded to give it up, or I could take it from her."

Down in the forest, Mendi immediately straightened up, his fur bristling. "Do you hear that?" he whispered fiercely.

"Yeah," the Destroyer replied, drawing the oversized hunting knife she always carried at her side. "Dogs. Lots of 'em. We're not alone here."

"Did the Amazons find us?"

"Amazons never hunt with dogs," the young woman growled. "Mendi, get up in a tree right n–" She cut herself off as she saw her companion's tail trailing up a trunk before he disappeared in the foliage. "Good work bro. I'll take care of whoever's comin'. Hope I don't have to cut up too many dogs to do it. Never did care for killing animals in anger."

Within moments a large pack of hounds was tearing through the forests, barking loudly. The Destroyer held her ground, and as the dogs approached her they began to slow. Some of the pack ignored her completely and began to bark at the base of the tree where Mendi had sought refuge. The rest approached her cautiously. Seeing her intense glare in their direction the closest dogs backed off, whimpering. Their instincts told them what would happen if they attempted to take down the wild woman.

"Down boys, down!" their master called as he ran up to the pack. The Destroyer curled a lip in annoyance as she sized up the new arrival. Although he was dressed as a typical hunter would be, she saw that his clothes were very fine. He was a tall, olive-skinned man with clearly defined muscles and a confident jut to his jaw. All the dogs that were close to the Destroyer immediately came to heel when he summoned them. The ones barking at Mendi stayed where they were, although they became silent. As if noticing her for the first time, the young man looked up at the Destroyer. "Hello there. Is that magnificent cat yours?"

"He's my brother and best friend," she answered menacingly. "I don't appreciate when people chase him down with dogs. I think it'd be best if you gathered up the dogs and got out of here."

The man chuckled patronizingly and took a few steps towards her. "I'm so sorry. Where are my manners? I'm Actaeon. You know, Prince Actaeon. I'm heir to these lands…?" He faltered, seeing no acknowledgement on the young woman's face. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"Nope."

"Well, you're absolutely stunning. What's your name?"

"I'm called Tira Darkheart," she replied. As in her case with him, he did not seem to recognize that the title belonged to Dahak's Destroyer. This did not bother her, however. She saw no need to give more information than was necessary. "Prince Actaeon, eh? Sorry, not familiar with your family. But one thing I can tell for sure is that you're not an Amazon. And according to that warning sign over there – " The Destroyer jerked her thumb at the totem only a few paces from Actaeon. "These are Amazon lands. So how could you be the heir?"

Actaeon smiled and shrugged. "It's not my fault those barbarians can't be bothered to mark their borders correctly. I promise you, these woods are mine. Now, if we can discuss the matter of your creature? I would really like to buy him from you. Better still, the both of you could come back to my estate not far from here. You're quite the curiosity. My kin would be so amazed to meet you! Come on, what do you say? I'd provide for your every need." The prince could not hide a slight leer as he looked the girl who called herself Tira Darkheart up and down. "You're quite young. I don't suppose you've ever known male company? I could…"

"Did you miss the part where I said he's my brother? He's like a part of me. I'd never let him go and I certainly wouldn't sell him. Now take your puppies and go. You really, REALLY shouldn't be here." The Destroyer reflexively spun her blade in her hand, twirling it deftly.

"Did you miss the part where I always get what I want?" Actaeon answered, his smile thinning. "I don't want to hurt you, it's certainly not my intention, but I will have that cat, and I may just have you too. Now, you can cooperate, or we can do this the hard way. It would be a shame to have to shoot down a beautiful, wild creature if I didn't have to." As he drew an arrow from his quiver, he kept his eyes on the Destroyer, not Mendi, making his meaning clear. "You seem to fancy yourself a fighter. You'll never lay a finger on me – my dogs will take you down before you can get close. Why is it so hard to come back with me? As I said, I'm a prince. I'll see to it you're well-kept."

"Sorry. Nothing you got could ever make me trade away my freedom."

Actaeon sighed. "Foolish girl. You brought this on yourself." Without missing a beat the prince brought the arrow to the bowstring and loosed it. The Destroyer reacted instantaneously, dodging to the side and deflecting with her blade. To her and Actaeon's mutual astonishment, the arrow made no contact, either with her flesh or her knife. The arrow disintegrated into nothingness before it ever reached the young woman.

"What in Tartarus?" Actaeon began before his eyes widened to the size of saucers. Without turning around, the Destroyer felt the forceful presence behind her. She knew they had been joined by an Olympian god.

"Well, I can tell you aren't Ares," she quipped, still not looking over her shoulder. "That's one mark in your favor."

The dogs that had been so afraid of the Destroyer earlier came eagerly to the immortal visitor. As the Olympian approached the quarreling pair, they sat and laid down, still keeping their distance from the wild girl but forgetting Mendi completely. The large cat, watching the entire exchange from his perch in the tree, was in awe of the new arrival, but found himself strangely calm despite having been in mortal danger just moments before.

"Mighty goddess of the hunt!" Actaeon exclaimed, kneeling and lowering his head. "Your presence honors me."

The goddess walked past the Destroyer without so much as a glance and approached the prince. "I wish I could say the same thing, Actaeon. Are you not aware that you are trespassing on Amazon lands, and that I am the patron goddess of the Amazons?"

"Oh boy. This oughta be good," the wild woman chuckled. She was ready for anything, considering that the Olympian gods were technically her mortal enemies, but her recent defeat of Ares in single combat had increased her confidence. _I'll just sit back and see how this plays out. If she was here to take me out she wouldn't have stopped that arrow, and the animals aren't afraid of her so I doubt she'd hurt Mendi._

"These are my lands, most glorious goddess. The Amazons are mistaken."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps you are attempting to usurp these lands, as your family has been encroaching here for many years. No matter. I will assume you are telling the truth. I am also the protectress of young women. Did I hear you threatening this virginal maiden with harm if she did not return with you and be your consort?"

The Destroyer could not stifle a snort. "Wow. Virginal maiden. I don't think I've ever been called THAT before."

"Is it not accurate?" the goddess asked calmly.

The wild woman shrugged nonchalantly. "Guess it is."

Prince Actaeon gulped nervously. "I…"

"And FURTHERMORE," the Olympian continued, "if I am not mistaken, and I know I am not, you are that same Prince Actaeon who has been rumored to spy on young Amazons as they bathe in the crystal waters on these lands they supposedly do not own."

If Actaeon had been thinking clearly, he would have told himself it was foolish and futile to run from an immortal, but his fear of the goddess's wrath got the better of him and he fled, dropping his bow in terror. The goddess smiled mirthlessly and raised her hand. Instantly, the prince morphed from a man into an immature stag as he ran. His hounds, formerly so calm in the goddess's presence, were aroused by the sight of a sprinting stag and immediately gave chase to their former master. The stag disappeared into a thicket, pursued relentlessly by his own dogs.

As the barking faded into the distance, Mendi came down out of his tree and began to circle the stranger who now turned her attentions to his companion. Mendi knew that this being was similar to Ares, the God of War, but he had been terrified and repulsed by that god's presence. This being instead gave him a sense of peace and contentment. He rubbed against the goddess's legs unbidden, raising the eyebrows of his mistress. "S'matter with my cat?" she wondered aloud, scratching her head.

The goddess's hazel eyes fixed themselves on the young woman in front of her. She instantly became more solemn. "Tira Darkheart. Dahak's Destroyer."

The Destroyer snapped to attention, her own eyes ablaze. "So you do know me."

"Of course. The question is, do you know me?"

She looked over her Olympian visitor, dressed all in silver. The goddess had light brown hair and hazel eyes sparkling with flecks of silver in the irises. She wore a knee-length skirt and hunting tunic and carried an ornate silver bow. "Like I said before, you ain't Ares. Other than that, nope."

"I am Artemis, goddess of the hunt, little one."

The young woman sighed and rolled her eyes. "Why does every god I meet insist on calling me little? I mean, sure, maybe I'm a bit on the short side, but c'mon!"

"My brother was right. Your first defense is not a sharp blade, but a sharp tongue. You are indeed an insolent mortal."

The Destroyer sneered. "Aw, great. So Ares sent you. What's he want NOW?"

Artemis shook her head. "No. My brother does not know I have appeared to you. In fact, he insisted you be left alone. Of course, when he said that, he had clearly just been defeated, quite badly at that, so his judgment may have been clouded."

"Ares said that? Shit, I wouldn't have believed it. He's sworn ta drag me into his little games, one way or another. It's just a matter o' time." She looked pointedly at the goddess. "Unless, of course, ya beat him to the punch. Why're you here, Artemis?"

Artemis pursed her lips and reluctance was apparent in her voice. "I have a favor to ask of you. A request."

The Destroyer was astonished. "You want my help? What could I do?" A flash of understanding passed across her features, and her face darkened in anger. "Of course. I gotta kill somebody. That it, Artemis? You want me to kill?"

"Yes," Artemis replied calmly.

"You fuckin' gods are all the same!" the girl known as Tira Darkheart exclaimed, furious. "That's all you want! Fuck off, Artemis! I told Ares and I'll tell you. I ain't just a killer! There's more to me than being the Destroyer, dammit!"

"I hope that's true," the goddess murmured, unfazed.

"Huh?"

"I said, I hope there is more to you than being a rampaging murderer. That may be what Ares wants to see in you, but it's not my purpose."

"Talk fast," the Destroyer spat, still enraged. Mendi returned to her, winding himself about her shins, seeming not to heed the heated conversation.

"I want you to kill, it's true. But not to dominate. To protect. There is a grave threat facing my children, the tribes of the Amazon nation. I have not intervened in their affairs for a long time, but one of my warriors, one that I greatly favor, asked for my aid directly. I wish to answer her call. I wish for you to serve as my champion and defend the Amazons against their destruction."

"Why can't you just do it yourself? I mean, shit, you're an Olympian. You have to have more power than whatever they're facing."

"I do. But it is not wise for gods to make a habit of meddling directly in mortal affairs. It is always better to act by proxy if you can. If you were in my position you would understand."

"Fine. Sure. You don't wanna get your hands dirty. Why does it have to be me? I don't even KNOW the Amazons. I got a better idea. Isn't Gabrielle the Amazon queen? Go get her and Xena. It's their problem, not mine."

"So you know the bard and the Warrior Princess." Artemis nodded slowly. "Under normal circumstances, your idea would be preferable. After all, you are still Dahak's Destroyer, and I have yet to be convinced I should not shoot you down."

"Y'know, you are NOT helping your case here."

Artemis sighed. "Xena and Gabrielle are in a land far to the east, beyond my immediate reach and even beyond my sight. Even if they returned to these lands in time, they are not the best choice for this task. You see, they have faced this enemy once before, and the best they could do was entomb her. Now, that enemy is free, and Xena and Gabrielle would not be able to kill her, regardless."

"A goddess," the Destroyer whispered, putting the pieces together. "You need me to kill a goddess. It was…" The young woman squeezed her eyes tight, focusing. "Velasca. Her name is Velasca, right?"

"How did you know?"

"I heard Gabrielle tell the tale. She needed ambrosia to bring Xena back to life, but a hostile Amazon usurper named Velasca took some and became a goddess herself."

"Your memory is remarkable, young one. Look at me." The Destroyer felt Artemis's hazel eyes bore into hers, as if looking into her soul. To the goddess's mild shock, she felt a forceful searching in the young woman's fiery eyes, as well. "You're very intelligent. You are also very sensitive."

Artemis's statement was met with a loud guffaw. "Hah! Gimme a break."

The goddess shrugged. "My purpose here is not to persuade you of the existence of parts of your soul you prefer to hide. I need an answer. Will you defend the Amazons against Velasca? Will you use your power to protect innocent lives, or do you insist on being nothing more than a troublemaker and a drifter all your days?"

"Forget it. There's no innocent life where humans are concerned. That asshole you just turned into a deer? He's about what I've come to expect from people."

"None at all? Not even a child?" Artemis probed.

The Destroyer ran her hand over her cat's silky coat, eliciting a purr. "What's in it for me? I mean, you're askin' me to kill a goddess. Aside from the obvious danger in doin' that, if I cross that line and kill an immortal, there's gonna be a lot more interest in me from up on that mountain of yours, and I ain't keen on that idea."

"If you destroy Velasca and save the Amazons, you will earn my favor." Artemis spoke slowly, emphasizing the gravity of her words.

"Your favor, eh? Sounds like I already have Ares's favor. What do I need with yours?" the Destroyer asked sarcastically.

"It's more accurate to say you have Ares's interest, not his favor. But of course, if you want to be his champion, you only need call for him. Why don't you?" Artemis let a meaningful silence pass before continuing. "We both know your opinion of Ares. I can offer you a less, shall we say, distasteful alliance. The favor of an Olympian is nothing to turn up your nose at, girl. Think about it. I am the goddess of the hunt, of wild things. I neither wish to mold your nature nor enslave you to it. I can offer you protection from outside interference in your life without you sacrificing your freedom."

"How do I know you won't just use me up and then cast me aside? Don't pretend you don't have your own agenda. I know better."

"Very smart, young one. Very astute. Of course I have my own plans. But those plans are not served by betrayal – a short-range solution employed only by the impatient, like my brother. You saw into me just as I saw into you. Did you see treachery in my eyes, Destroyer? Did you see ill-intent?"

"No, I didn't," she had to admit. She stared off into the trees, considering her options. Finally she turned her attention back to Artemis. "Whatever. I'll kill your renegade goddess, but I'm not doin' it for you. I'm interested to see what happens, to pit my strength against an immortal once more. That, an' it'd be a good turn to Gabrielle. She prolly wouldn't take it well if her tribe got wiped out in her absence."

Artemis nodded. "I accept your aid gratefully. I never said you couldn't have your own reasons. Now, give me your knife."

"It was my father's," the Destroyer growled, clutching her knife to her chest protectively.

"It was also going to crack if you deflected the arrow with it," Artemis replied. "You know that weapon is old and that it will soon be useless. Give it to me."

Reluctantly the shaggy young woman offered the weapon hilt-first to the goddess. Artemis took the battered old knife in her grasp, instantly causing it to glow white-hot. She began to hand it back to its owner, then paused. "In time, you'll learn that sometimes a knife is not enough." The white glow was replaced by a silver one, causing the metal blade to shimmer and sparkle. At last Artemis returned the knife to the Destroyer, who examined it curiously.

"What did you do to it?"

"You'll discover that for yourself. Until then, know that no matter how you use it, it will not dull or break. It is, for your purposes at least, indestructible."

"Nice. So how do I go about helping your precious…" Before she could finish her question, the goddess vanished with a flash. "…Amazons. Huh. How d'ya like that, Mendi? Didn't even have the decency to tell me what to do next."

_Good luck, Tira Darkheart, and keep a sharp eye. You'll soon discover that Velasca is not the only danger to the Amazon Nation,_ Artemis's voice rang out in her ear.


	4. The First Officer

"Velasca's not the only danger, eh? Wonder what she meant by that," the Destroyer mused.

"I like her. She's nice. When's she coming back?" Mendi asked his mistress.

"Shit if I know. What's wrong with you, brother? I've never seen you act that way around a stranger. That was an Olympian right there. The last time you met an Olympian he locked you up in a cage and nearly drove you mad."

"I can't explain it. She made me feel so peaceful, so safe," Mendi replied. "You didn't feel that way?"

The Destroyer guffawed. "No. She's a goddess. I'm her enemy. Only now I'm not. Were you payin' the least bit of attention earlier?"

"Nope. Why?"

"I just agreed to something you're not gonna like. We have to stay with humans for awhile, and I have to do something dangerous."

"Really? Did she ask you to do that?"

"Yeah. She fixed my knife up, too. Can't say it wasn't needed."

"If she asked you, it'll be all right. I don't mind staying with the humans."

"What has gotten INTO you, Mendi?" The Destroyer could not keep the slight edge from her tone. _Mendi's MY brother, MY companion. Why's he so trusting of Artemis? She must have some kind of thrall over animals. It happened to the dogs too. Ah well. He's still my Mendi first. I shouldn't get all bent out of shape._ "Anyway, I guess we have to go find these – y'know what, nevermind. I think they just found us."

"I hear them too. I can smell them. Are you going to tell me what an Amazon is now?" Mendi asked.

"You'll see soon enough."

"Hey, you! Don't move!" Within moments of their detection by the Destroyer and her cat, a squad of armed Amazons came into sight. They wore masks and carried a variety of weapons including crossbows, staves, and polearms. The young woman realized that the group on the ground was not their only company – there were other Amazons hidden in the trees around their position. "Put the weapon down," the Amazon who seemed to be the leader barked. In response, the Destroyer nonchalantly sheathed her blade, remarking to herself how much sturdier it felt in her grasp than before. "That's not what I meant!" the squad leader shouted, approaching the Destroyer alone. "I want you to throw all your weapons on the ground, get that cat on the ground, and put your hands behind your head. You're trespassing on Amazon hunting grounds. You should be thankful you're not full of arrows already."

"You can't hit me, and if you hit my brother I'm gonna be quite pissed at you. Anyhow, isn't your goddess going to be more than a little disappointed if you off the champion she went and found for you?"

The Amazon ripped off her mask, narrowed her eyes, and stood directly over the Destroyer. She was a hard, imposing warrior, with dark brown hair and eyes. "What did you say?"

"Yeah, that little Velasca problem you've been having. I'm supposed to fix that. If you try to shoot me up I might change my mind."

The other Amazons in the squad gasped. Several murmurs of surprise and alarm became audible. "What is she talking about? Velasca's returned? How could this be? I bet that bitch Iphianassa's to blame. It could be this stranger's fault, for all we know!"

"How do you know about that?" the squad leader hissed, getting directly the Destroyer's face.

"First of all, ya need t' back up RIGHT now, because yer in my space," the brown-haired girl growled. "And second, I just had a little chat with Artemis. You got a goddess problem. I'm th' solution." The squad leader appeared nonplussed. "Dincha hear me? Back off, Amazon. This relationship ain't gonna start well if I have to whip your ass."

"You back off, then," the warrior sneered.

"I don't do that."

Something in the Destroyer's eyes warned the Amazon not to push the young woman. She moved back under the guise of sizing her adversary up. "Who are you?"

"You can call me Tira Darkheart."

"Your name is Tira?"

"No, no, no, dammit. It's a title. You say the whole thing every time. Tira Darkheart. It's not my name. You ain't earned my name yet, Amazon. How 'bout you? Who do I have the dubious pleasure of addressing?"

"I'm Solari, Chief Strategist and First Officer of the Queen Regent. As the Chief Strategist, it's my business to find out how a stranger knows information that was supposed to be restricted to the War Council."

"I told ya, Solari. Artemis just filled me in. You mean to say that your patron goddess asks me for help, then doesn't even bother to mention it to you guys? Damn. I got some strong words for her next time I see her."

Solari's face contorted, and she shook noticeably with the effort of controlling herself. Gripping her spear tightly she leaned over and whispered fiercely in the Destroyer's ear, "Shut your mouth, you damned, stupid kid. I know about asking the goddess for help, but they don't. I know about Velasca, but they don't. Have you never heard of information control? Now, I admit that I'm supposed to be watching out for a Champion sent to us by Artemis, but that doesn't mean you're it and I'm getting less inclined to believe you with every word. Keep your fool mouth shut and follow my lead or this is going to get very ugly, and fast."

"I'll follow you wherever ya like on one condition. You and your squad don't so much as brush me or my cat, not even by accident. If you lay hands on me I'm liable to chew up a few of your warriors and I'm not even kidding. Cut me a little slack here. I did agree to kill a goddess for you."

Solari's eyes narrowed, and she grit her teeth, but she nodded. "You stay right next to me, Tira Darkheart. Understood?"

"Yep. Take it easy, arright? We're supposed to be on the same side here."

Solari put her mask back on and turned to her squad. "Everybody listen up. We're going to take the intruder prisoner as a precautionary measure. I personally will be responsible for her until I deliver her to the Queen Regent. This young woman may be an ally so I don't want anyone making any stupid moves, understand? She is a prisoner at present but she may be an honored guest tomorrow for all I know. I expect EVERYONE to conduct themselves with discipline, understand?"

"Yes, First Officer!" the other Amazons replied in unison. With that, the Destroyer and Mendi fell into step behind Solari, followed closely by the other warriors.

"Where we goin'?" she asked the Chief Strategist.

"I'm taking you straight to the Queen Regent, in our main village. It's not far. Stay quiet. We'll talk soon enough, but not here."

"Fine. I never did care much for talkin'."

"And the animal, is he under control? I assume he's yours."

"Mendi's mellow. As long as no one bothers him, he won't bother you."

"Fair enough." The pair walked in uncomfortable silence, trailed by the small contingent of Amazons and flanked by others that kept to the trees. Solari took the opportunity to assess her surly companion. The wild woman was about the same height as the typical Amazon warrior, and every bit as muscular, if not more so. Her medium-brown hair was decidedly unkempt, frizzed as it was into a manic-looking mane. Solari noted with disdain that the young woman was dirty and had not bathed in some time. She observed the battered state of the furs and skins the stranger wore. They had been repaired several times over. What disturbed Solari the most were the girl's eyes, especially when they were on her. Something in that gaze was unsettling.

They traveled at a quick pace until they reached the village at last. Amazons of all ages and trades peered curiously at the newcomer who flanked the well-known Solari, and small girls looked upon the oversized cat with fascination. "Leave us," Solari commanded in her clipped, imposing tone once she reached the officials' hut.

"First Officer, are you sure we should not restrain the intruder before she enters the Queen Regent's chamber?" a stocky blonde with short hair asked Solari.

"I gave you an order. Follow it," the Chief Strategist snapped in reply. More calmly she added, "She's just one girl. I can take care of any problems."

None dared defy Solari's authority, so the Amazon warriors quickly dispersed. When they had gone Solari bent to whisper in the Destroyer's ear once again. "I still don't really know who you are or if you are truly the goddess's champion. All I know is, if you make any kind of move to threaten the Queen Regent, I will slit your throat in the blink of an eye, even if you are just a youth."

The Destroyer smirked and turned to the imposing Amazon. "Listen, Solari. I don't like you. But I might, eventually. Since I'd like you to survive to that possible future time where I no longer dislike you, I'm going to tell you that I fought the Warrior Princess to a draw and beat the God of War in single combat. Don't fuck with me."

"Don't make me laugh. You're green. I knew it as soon as I saw you. You don't have a scratch on you, not on your arms and legs anyhow. You're no fighter. You might be a gifted athlete, I grant you that. And you clearly have a special bond with that big cat, since he follows you so closely. But do not stand there and try to tell me you're a bad girl. Now when we go in to see the Queen Regent, I hope for your sake you have some better manners than the ones you've shown so far. If she wants to, she can make you very, very sorry."

_Oooh, it would be so easy to flash the teeth right now. So tempting…no. Stop it, dumbass. You're here to help the Amazons, not get in a pissing contest with their commanders. Would you believe it in her place? Of course not. You were patient with Xena. Be patient with Solari. Man – these humans are too much work!_ "Right, right, play nice with the Queen Regent. Sure. Can Mendi stay out here? He doesn't like going inside buildings if he can help it, but I don't want him bothered."

"He'll be fine by the door." _What is going on between her and the cat? She treats him like a person. I'll have to find out later._ "Come on. She's waiting for us and her time is far too valuable to waste. Remember what I said before."

Before she disappeared inside the hut, the Destroyer shot Mendi a 'don't-come-off-as-anything-but-a-regular-cat' look, receiving perked and attentive feline ears in reply. She followed Solari through an anterior hallway before arriving at a heavy wooden door flanked by twin torches. Before the First Officer could knock, a call of "Come in, Solari!" came from behind the door. Solari entered with the Destroyer and nodded her head solemnly at her close friend. "Leave us," the Queen Regent said quietly.

"My Queen – " Solari began to protest before being cut off mid-sentence.

"It's not an insult, Solari. It's not a lack of trust, it's an abundance of it. I need you outside keeping watch. I don't care if you overhear us. I just have to make sure no one else does."

"But your safety is my first priority."

The Queen Regent set a large, loaded crossbow down heavily on the table in front of her throne. "Satisfied? Please, I need to talk to her alone."

With extreme reluctance, Solari left the room, shutting the large door behind her. The Destroyer stood motionless in front of the Amazon leader, waiting.

"Hello, Tira Darkheart."

"Hello, Ephiny."


	5. Strange Bedfellows

The Queen Regent cocked an eyebrow. "I'm a little surprised you know my name."

"It's no more surprising than you knowing what to call me. But I guess Artemis filled you in. What did she tell you 'bout me, anyhow?"

Ephiny sighed and leaned back in her chair, looking her visitor over carefully. "Not much. She came to me in a dream last night and said that very soon she would send me a champion, a young woman answering to Tira Darkheart who traveled with a rare forest wildcat. Other than that, I don't know you from Hades."

The Destroyer bristled. _Last night? I only agreed to kill Velasca a few hours ago! Artemis promised my help to them before she even talked to me! Damn gods…_ She forced herself to calm down. _It's not Ephiny's fault. And it wouldn't do her much good to know how reluctant I was to come to them. I'm supposed to be their hero or something, now. I better start acting like it, for all our sakes._

"Well, I guess I know a lot more about you, then. I don't usually like hum – I mean people – but from what I've heard you're worthy of my respect."

The Queen Regent did not hide her befuddlement. "Did Solari or the warriors…"

"No. We have a mutual friend. A certain talkative bard had quite a bit to say about the loyal warrior leading her tribe in her absence."

"You know Gabrielle," Ephiny deduced, relaxing noticeably.

"If she had known I'd be meeting you, I'm sure Xena would have sent her regards as well."

A wry half-smile crept across Ephiny's face as she absentmindedly rubbed her elbow. "I'm sure she would. Well, any friend of Gabrielle and Xena's is welcome in my home."

The Destroyer bit her lip. "You might want to hold off on that judgment just yet, Ephiny. There are some things about me ya don't know yet."

"I agree. The thing I'm having the hardest time understanding," Ephiny said as she rose from her seat and walked around to the brown-haired woman's side of the table, "is exactly how you'll be able to help us. I mean no offense by this."

"None taken. Solari thought I was just a rude punk. I mean, I am a rude punk, I admit it. I don't associate with people if I can help it."

"You're doing just fine. What I'm trying to say is, you're clearly very strong, but you're just one young woman. Our tribe is filled with strong young women. How are you, specifically, going to help us?"

The Destroyer took a deep breath. _Here we go._ "I'm going to kill Velasca with my own hands and teeth."

"How? Not even another god can kill a god, much less a mor – I'm sorry, did you say teeth?"

In response, she opened her mouth and flicked one of her canines with her finger. Ephiny had not noticed the long teeth before, but the Amazon instinctively tensed and her hand wandered towards her crossbow. "What are you, Tira Darkheart?"

"You're not gonna like the answer. You're really, really not."

Ephiny fixed her hard stare upon her guest. "I have to know."

"Yes, you do." The young woman turned her palms up almost apologetically. "You ever heard of Dahak? You know what a Destroyer is?"

"That's impossible," Ephiny fired back through gritted teeth. "Xena killed the Destroyer." Her hand was on the crossbow now. She forced herself not to pick it up.

"Xena killed ONE Destroyer."

"You can't be Hope's daughter."

"I'm not. My mother is Dahak's other daughter."

"Xena and Gabrielle. Do they know?"

"Oh, they know all right. The first time I met Xena she was trying to kill me. They know about my history. We worked it out." The Destroyer saw Ephiny struggling with her urge to arm herself. "Look, Ephiny. I know I'm a monster. I'm trying not to be. That's the best assurance I can give you."

"Dahak tried to kill all of our children. Hope killed Xena's son in this very village last year," the Queen Regent raged quietly.

"I'm not who I was born to be," the Destroyer replied, her voice resolute. "I can't force you to accept my help, but there's no one else that can kill Velasca. You know that. That's why Artemis sent me. You're the one that called to her, aren't you? This is the best you're going to get."

Ephiny took a deep breath. "It's the best I could ask for. You are – still – welcome in my home and in my village, Tira Darkheart."

The Destroyer smiled, and Ephiny was surprised to see what looked like gratitude in her eyes. _How strange. There is much more to this young woman than meets the eye._ "There is still more that I have to ask you. Have you ever killed a god before?"

"No. I've never done that. I did wound Ares, though."

The Queen Regent could not hide her shock. "You fought the God of War? And you HURT him?"

"Well, he attacked me first. Bastard deserved it."

"I don't doubt it. It's just that you're…"

"I know, I know, young. Ephiny, I want you to shoot me with that crossbow."

The Amazon could not stifle a laugh. "Are you insane?"

"Maybe. But you have to do it. I can't have you and everyone else thinkin' I'm just tough talk. Shoot me."

"It's idiotic to injure our one hope against Velasca."

"Then I'd better not be injured. Do it, Ephiny." She narrowed her eyes. "Do it. Do I need to give you a reason?" Without warning she drew her knife and feinted at Ephiny. The Amazon's training took hold of her instantly and she fired the crossbow straight at the Destroyer's heart with only paces between them. The Destroyer deflected the bolt with a loud PING! as it struck her blade, sending it straight into the wall. Ephiny's jaw dropped. The Destroyer looked down at her knife and smiled. "Hey, Artemis did make this thing indestructible."

"Ephiny!" Solari cried out as she burst into the room. She threw herself at the Destroyer, but the latter used the Amazon's own momentum to pitch her across the room, causing her to land belly-up on the table next to Ephiny. The Destroyer was over her in a flash. Solari felt a rush of air and saw the massive knife sticking out of the table right next to her head, her opponent's hand gripping it tightly.

"Enough! Tira Darkheart, you said I was worthy of your respect. Solari is equally worthy, if not more so. You will let her up immediately and you will apologize."

Growling, the Destroyer yanked her knife out of the weathered wood and stepped back, allowing Solari to collect herself. "Queen Regent, I heard the noise and I thought you were in danger."

"You did nothing wrong. Tira Darkheart, apologize. I mean it."

The Destroyer sighed and sheathed her weapon. She locked eyes with Solari and extended her hand. "We got off to a bad start. Let's start again."

Cautiously, still not quite believing that someone she had written off as "green" had thrown her, Solari gripped the young woman's armored forearm, noting for the first time that she wore only one bracer. "Agreed."

"Go wait outside with your cat. I need to talk to Solari alone. Don't wander, not just yet. I'll be out to show you the village soon."

_Guess it's time for them to strategize some. Poor Solari's lookin' pale. I need to check on Mendi anyhow._ The Destroyer shrugged and sauntered out of Ephiny's room, shutting the heavy door with a bang.

Solari had a hundred questions for her friend, but she found herself asking simply, "Why did you tell her to apologize? I attacked her first. She reacted like any warrior."

"I know that. You know that. Most importantly, though, she knows that. I wanted to see what she would do, whether she would argue. I want to learn her character, Solari. It's no different than when we train our own girls, when we push them to see not just their warrior skills, but their warrior spirit. From this point forward, that's how I'll treat her. Like one of our own young women." Ephiny remembered the look in the Destroyer's eyes when she had accepted her help. "I think that's what she wants."

"Who is this stranger?" Solari blurted. "Is she actually a warrior?"

"Well, she deflected the crossbow bolt she insisted I fire at her, which is what you heard from outside. And she could have put that knife through your throat just as easily as beside it. I'm not even sure I could have done that. You always did have the edge in our sparring matches."

"I thought she was telling tales when she said she fought Xena and Ares," Solari breathed. "It doesn't make sense! She could use a bath but I still should have been able to see some scars on her if she was really a fighter."

Ephiny looked solemnly at her friend. "Perhaps she can't be scarred," she said.

"What do you mean? What is she?"

"Dahak's Destroyer."

Solari swallowed hard and her face twisted in anger. "This is madness! Ephiny, we can't! We can't have a creature of Dahak in our village! The goddess can't have sent her!"

"She can and she did, Solari. It makes perfect sense. She can kill Velasca. How else do you propose to do that, exactly? The Hind's blood dagger is lost. I know of no other answer. Artemis gave us our champion. I accept it. You will too. There is no choice."

"How can you abide such an insult to our queen?" Solari raged, slamming her fist down on the table.

"That's right, Gabrielle has every reason to hate Dahak, and her," Ephiny answered calmly. "But Queen Gabrielle is Tira Darkheart's friend."

"Impossible."

"Xena too. It sounds like Xena had the same reaction to her that we did. Solari, if Xena and Gabrielle saw past her ancestry then we have to do the same." The Queen Regent steadied her friend with a hand on her shoulder. "I believe that she's struggling to find her own path. We help our young women do that. It's the least we can offer her if she's going to put her life on the line for our tribe." Ephiny put both of her hands on Solari's shoulders and spoke to her not as her superior, but as an old friend asking a favor. "I want you to reach out to her. You know how to handle a brash, proud, reckless teenager."

Solari snorted and looked down. "If you're talking about my daughter, you know I can't control her. She could care less what I have to say."

"That is not true. I know the reason that your daughter is a good, if difficult, warrior instead of a violent liability is because of you. If I can raise Xenan half as well as you've raised her, I'll thank Artemis herself. Now, are you going to give Tira Darkheart a chance?"

"I suppose it's a good way to thank her for not killing me," Solari quipped, a smile edging onto her face.


	6. First to Fall

The Destroyer sat outside the officials' hut, one arm around Mendi. The squad of Amazons that had escorted her to the village was standing around her menacingly. "You guys really oughtta back up. Mendi doesn't like feeling cornered." The big cat was burrowed into her side, his fur standing on end. The effects of his earlier meeting with Artemis were wearing off, and he was regretting having come to a human village more and more with each passing moment.

"You shouldn't be out without a guard, prisoner."

"Prisoner, my ass! I'm your ch –"

"Amazons!" Ephiny's voice rang out clearly as she flung open the door to the hut. Solari stood immediately behind her. "Hear me. This young woman and her cat are our friends and allies. They are to be treated as guests. I will explain later." Ephiny quickly dispersed the Amazon warriors and motioned for the Destroyer to rise. "Solari tells me information control is not your best skill. Until I formally announce you to my sisters in a proper ceremony, I think it's best if you don't talk too much."

"Doesn't bother me. Artemis did say Velasca's not the only danger to the Amazon Nation."

_Goddess help us, she's right. That's a subject for another time. _"Solari also tells me you could use a bath. Come. I'll show you where you can clean yourself up and relax from your travels."

"If Mendi goes to hunt in your woods, your warriors won't take a shot at him, will they?"

"His kind are sacred to the goddess. Nature's hunters are off-limits to ours. He'll be safe." Ephiny heard the Destroyer speak to her companion in a language she did not recognize, and to her astonishment she heard the cat answer before he ran off towards the village border. "Did he just talk back to you?"

"Yep. We can talk. But it's prolly best if only you and Solari know that. That's MY information control." _And I think I'll keep it to myself that he can understand you too._

"Fair enough. My sisters can only handle so many strange things at a time. Come on, now." Solari and Ephiny led the Destroyer to a large hut in the center of the village, where many Amazons were entering and leaving. When they entered, the Destroyer was hit in the face with an unexpected burst of steam, forcing her to rub her eyes clear. "Amazons!" Ephiny called out from behind her. "This young woman is an honored guest of the tribe. She is to be treated accordingly!"

"Give her whatever she needs!" Solari added. "In my opinion, she needs a good scrubbing, at the very least!" Mirth was apparent in her tone.

"Our sisters will take care of you," Ephiny assured the Destroyer as she shut the door behind her, leaving her by herself in the sweat lodge. The Destroyer finally succeeded in wiping the water from her face. Flicking her hand nonchalantly she took in her surroundings for the first time. The young woman's brown-black eyes widened in astonishment as she realized what was going on around her. Unlike the village paths where everyone had stared at her, in the sweat lodge she received only a few odd glances. Most of the Amazons inside, all in various states of undress, were focused on each other. Laughter and satisfied sighs echoed around her. Some of the Amazons were bathing each other in large, steaming tubs of water. Many others were up on tables, nude, as their sisters stroked, kneaded, and oiled them. "What is goin' on in here?" the Destroyer quietly muttered to herself. In the back corner of the sweat lodge, she saw one tall, naked young woman, perhaps not much older than she was, sitting back on a low bench but looking not at all relaxed. Her fiery red hair tossed about her head as she took several deep breaths, her hands pressed against the back wall and her fingers spread. The Destroyer wondered what was wrong with her until she noticed a second woman's head buried in her lap. The first Amazon's hand traveled to the back of that head and gripped the short black hair tightly.

"Honored guest, huh?" The Destroyer's reverie was broken by another dark-haired Amazon, much taller than she was, who had sidled up next to her. "I haven't seen you around yet, but what the Queen Regent says, goes."

"We'll give you a bath, hon," a second, short Amazon purred from the Destroyer's other side. "You're cute. What else can we give you?"

"EPHINY!"

The Queen Regent and Solari turned around in surprise as the Destroyer charged out of the sweat hut and ran after her two hostesses. She skidded to a halt in front of them as the two women regarded her with some amusement. The young woman's typically pale face was very red, and her eyes were so wide it looked to Ephiny as if she had just been terrified. "What's wrong, Tira Darkheart?"

"They – they are doin' some crazy shit in there!" the Destroyer stammered, vaguely indicating the sweat lodge behind her with a shaky hand.

Solari hid her smile behind her hand and tried not to shake with laughter. "Our sisters frequently relax and take pleasure in each other's company. Have you never seen such things before?" The Destroyer, still red, moved her head to indicate she had not.

"You really are just a girl," Ephiny chuckled, her tone gentle rather than mocking. "What a strange mix of innocence and experience."

"I'm sixteen!" the young woman snapped, almost petulantly. "I know plenty!" She cleared her throat and looked at the ground. "But no, never seen that sort of thing. I mean, I tolja I don't hang around people much, y'know? If it's all the same to you two, I think I'll take my own baths."

"You can do whatever you're most comfortable with," Solari reassured her. "Come with us. There's someone else you should meet."

Following Ephiny and Solari, the Destroyer entered a second hut, on the far side of the village near the treeline. As soon as they were inside she knew that this place was a far cry from the sweat lodge. The mood in that place had been relaxed and joyful. This structure was somber and quiet. Amazons of all ages and conditions were stretched on pallets along the walls, some groaning quietly.

"The infirmary," the Destroyer mumbled, unsettled. She had never felt at ease in such places and avoided them when she could. It bothered her to be near the sick and injured. It reminded her too much of all the pain she had seen in her short life.

"Yes. She's back here. She has a private room. She was hurt very badly," Solari explained. The Destroyer heard the emotion in Solari's voice and guessed that it was a close friend of hers they were going to see. She rubbed her arm self-consciously. Strong feelings also made her uncomfortable. She had enough difficulty dealing with her own emotions and resisted being drawn into the intensity of others'. They ducked in through a low doorway to a back room which, to the Destroyer's relief, had a window. A dark-haired woman lay under a thin blanket on the room's only cot. Solari and Ephiny knelt down beside their sister Amazon and Solari took the injured warrior's hand. "Eponin," she whispered. "Eponin, can you hear me?"

"Yeah. Was just napping," Eponin replied, squinting her eyes. "I'm fine. I can get up tomorrow."

"You won't move until the healer clears it and that's final," Ephiny scolded her. "You nearly died a few days ago."

"But I didn't," Eponin smirked. Her eyes flicked up to the Destroyer, who stood awkwardly behind her friends. "Who's this?"

"Eponin, I want you to meet Tira Darkheart," Solari answered, still not letting go of her friend's hand. "Tira Darkheart, this is Eponin, our weapons master and by far the best archer we've ever had."

"Some of these young ones I've seen lately make me wonder," Eponin cut in, diverting the compliment.

"They have an excellent teacher." Solari smiled down at the Amazon warrior, trying to hide how difficult it was for her to see Eponin in this condition.

"What happened to you?" the Destroyer asked bluntly, curious.

Eponin looked to Ephiny, who nodded. "I like you, young one. You get right to the point. Velasca happened to me."

"She stubbornly refused to die until she told us that Velasca had been freed," Solari explained, her eyes glistening.

The Destroyer regarded the injured woman carefully, a thoughtful expression on her face. "It's all right. I'll kill Velasca for you."

"Will you now," Eponin laughed. Seeing that Ephiny and Solari were stone-faced, however, she stopped. "Who are you, Tira Darkheart?"

"I'm the Des – I mean, I'm Artemis's champion. I'm here to help you out."

Eponin stared wide-eyed at Ephiny. "The goddess answered you," she breathed.

"When you're feeling better, I want to ask you about Velasca. What she's like. What she can do. It'll help me when I face her," the Destroyer said.

"I'll tell you whatever you need to know if you can rip that bitch's throat out, her and Iphianassa both," Eponin growled before a fit of coughing cut her off. Ephiny and Solari steadied her.

"Who's Iphianassa?" the Destroyer asked Ephiny.

"Our disgraced, traitorous shamaness. She's the one who rescued Velasca from the lava river. She, too, must die, but fortunately for us she's as mortal as anyone."

The Destroyer's jaw tightened imperceptibly at the mention of a shamaness, but she shook the feeling off. "We'll get 'em both."

Eponin's coughing continued, ending their conversation. Some shuffling could be heard outside, and a voice called out to the three visitors, "What are you doing in there? She's supposed to be resting."

The Destroyer turned to acknowledge the newcomer and saw the last thing she expected to see in the Amazon camp. She saw a man.

The tall, lanky stranger strode quickly into Eponin's room but slowed when he saw Ephiny. "Your highness," he greeted her respectfully. "She's doing better today."

"Thank you," Ephiny answered him. "We all know you saved her life. We didn't want to disturb her too much, but this is a security matter."

"Forgive me, Queen Regent. I had no intention of intruding. She does need rest, though. For her sake I'm going to have to ask you all to leave." The man saw Solari tenderly smoothing Eponin's hair back and added, "I guess she can have one visitor for a little while longer. But just one!"

The young man became aware that he was being stared at. He looked over his shoulder and was transfixed by the darkest, most ferocious eyes he had ever encountered. He gulped loudly. He could not make out the intent in the gaze, but it made him intensely nervous. "Hello," he stammered.

Without replying the Destroyer strode past him and out of the room. Ephiny acknowledged the man with a nod before she followed. Only Solari remained behind with Eponin and the stranger charged with her care.

"She'll make it," the Destroyer remarked to Ephiny when they were both outside once more. "She's very strong. I can tell."

"I know. If anyone can take punishment like that it's Eponin. But we hate to see her that way. Eponin, Solari, Terreis, and I were all friends long before we became leaders in the tribe."

"Who's Terreis?"

Ephiny shook her head. "She was my best friend. She was murdered by a coward."

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right. If it hadn't happened, Gabrielle wouldn't have gotten her right of caste and become our queen, and I'm proud to call Gabrielle my sister Amazon."

_Right of caste? What is that? Ah, I'm getting distracted. There's other things I'd rather know._ "That guy back in the infirmary. Who was that? Why is there a man in your village? I thought that the whole point of the Amazons was, y'know, no men."

"Oh, you mean Sedgik. He's our master healer. Ever since our peace with the Centaurs, we've had an agreement to trade skilled members of our bands between us, as a token of goodwill and to foster understanding. Sedgik was living with the Centaurs when they sent him to us in return for our best blacksmith. He hasn't been with us very long, but one of the first things he did was keep Eponin from dying so he's earned my respect and trust, at least. He's also here for the use of our sisters, if they so desire."

"Whaddya mean, use?"

"Should any Amazon wish to become pregnant, or simply enjoy herself, he serves that purpose as well."

The Destroyer looked back over her shoulder at the infirmary. "Really."

"If you're interested in him, you should go talk to him when he isn't on duty," Ephiny encouraged her, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. "He can't be as intimidating as the sweat lodge, now, can he?"

"Hey, I was NOT intimidated!" the Destroyer retorted, but Ephiny was already walking away from her. She heard the Amazon using what she had dubbed her "Queen Regent voice" with some other warriors and concluded that Ephiny was busy. "Huh. Guess I'm on my own for a while. I should go find Mendi." She began to walk back towards the infirmary and the edge of the village when she realized she had drawn unfriendly attention yet again.

"Hold it," a snide voice called out to the Destroyer.

_Dammit. I don't wanna have to beat on someone my first day here!_


	7. Oil and Water

The Destroyer turned to see a tall young Amazon stalking towards her across the village commons, from the direction of the sweat lodge. "Just who do you think you are, outsider, acting so chummy with the Queen Regent?" Her antagonist had long, slightly wavy red hair and deep green eyes that flashed with anger. A normally soft mouth was twisted into a sneer. "Why are you out here without a guard? What makes you think you can show up here like you run the place? I oughtta knock you down a peg."

It occurred to the Destroyer that her foe looked vaguely familiar, but she was too perturbed to think about it. _She thinks she can talk to me like that? I got half a mind to – no, no, I ain't here to brawl, not them anyway. Need to keep it together. It's all talk…so far._ "Ah, cool it, Red. I'm here to…" _Information control, information control! Solari said not to go shooting my mouth off. What a pain in my ass. Sooner I kill Velasca and get outta here the sooner I go back to doing what I want, when I want._ "I'm here to help out your tribe. I'm one of the good guys, so get out of my face before I break yours."

"You little punk," the Amazon spat, fuming. "Don't you dare call me Red. My name's Artemisia and you'd do well to remember it, 'cause you'll need to know it when you're begging me for mercy."

The Destroyer chuckled. "Artemisia? Seriously? Your mother couldn't be a bit more creative than that? I think you'd be better off as Red!"

The Amazon known as Artemisia ran at the Destroyer, clenching her fists in preparation for the coming slugfest. "You insult my mother AND my name? I've had it. What's YOUR name, outsider? If you're lucky I'll mark it on your grave for you!"

The shaggy wild woman took a slightly wider stance and got ready to knock Artemisia off her feet. "It's Tira Darkheart to you, Amazon. Like I said, you better thank your goddess we're on the same side or I'd snap that beanpole body in half for you."

"Then let's do it, bitch!" Artemisia cried before stopping abruptly just before striking distance. She appeared to be looking behind her foe. It looked to the Destroyer as if her expression changed to a sulk. "Whatever. I'll be watching you, Tira. We don't need any help from outsiders like you, and I'll prove it to you the first chance I get." With that Artemisia turned in a huff and stormed back in the direction she had come.

"It's Tira Darkheart, are you deaf? You say the whole thing each – aw, dammit. She's not even lookin'." Out of curiosity the Destroyer turned around to see who or what had run Artemisia off and came face to face with Solari. "Oh, you're back from seein' Eponin. She doin' all right?"

"As well as can be expected." Solari smiled, but there was no warmth in her face, and her eyes were hard. "I see you've met my daughter," she drawled.

Dark brown eyes flicked back to the angry redhead, now talking with some other Amazons outside the sweat lodge. "That's your DAUGHTER? Man, what's her problem? I didn't even say anything to her."

"I'm sure you didn't. Artemisia is liable to pick a fight at the slightest provocation, or in your case no provocation. Whatever she said to you, it's just an excuse. You look tough. She wanted to prove she was tougher. Simple as that."

"Why'd she leave like that when you showed up? You wave her off or something?"

"No. I'd have let you kick her around a bit. It would have been good for her. She's brash but she's got the skills to back it up, so she can usually get away with her attitude, as long as she leaves the older warriors alone. You might have managed to knock a little sense into her hard head. She doesn't listen to anything or anybody, especially not me."

"So why'd she turn tail when she saw you, then?"

"She's not speaking to me. If she let me get too close she might have to remind me that she's not speaking to me."

"What? Why?"

Solari sighed and shrugged. "Different reason every day. I stopped trying to keep track. Last month she moved out of my home and into the young women's lodge, and ever since then she's avoided me like I'm diseased."

"That's stupid. You're her mom. She oughtta – wait, thought you said she had it in for everybody?" The Destroyer was looking back at Artemisia again and saw an entirely different Amazon than the one she had nearly fought moments before. The tall redhead was looking down at a shorter woman who was just leaving the sweat lodge. Her manner appeared almost deferential. Artemisia's companion took her hand and led her back towards the village edge. The newcomer had straight ebony hair cut short. As she walked off with Artemisia the Destroyer saw that every visible inch of the dark-haired woman was defined with muscle.

"Everybody but her. I misspoke when I said no one could reach her. She practically worships Elena. Thank the goddess Elena keeps her from doing too many ridiculous things. She'd be completely out of control, otherwise."

"Elena," the young woman mused. She suddenly remembered why Artemisia had looked familiar earlier. Her mind flashed back to a dark corner of the sweat lodge, a scene of passion and pleasure. Pale cheeks reddened once again and the Destroyer pushed the image from her mind before Solari noticed the blush. "So that's her only friend, eh?"

"Not exactly. Her agemates admire her and respect her skills, but she only tolerates them when they accept that she's the boss. If anyone stands up to her there's bound to be a fight. Not with Elena. I think she'd challenge Artemis herself if Elena asked her to." Solari began walking towards where Ephiny was still conferring with some of the warriors. The Queen Regent was seemingly unaware of the argument between Artemisia and their champion. "Fortunately for those of us who would like to have a moment's peace in this camp, Elena is the calmest of all our young women and it rubs off on Artemisia now and again."

"If they're so different what brought them together?"

"Elena beating the stuffing out of Artemisia about five times," Solari laughed. "That's why I don't mind if you have to teach my daughter a hard lesson one of these days. I think it's the only language she understands."

"I better not, seein' as she's your daughter," the Destroyer answered quietly. "Sometimes I get pretty angry, and bad things happen." She stared at her feet and let her hair fall over her face, not wanting Solari to see the burden she carried.

"Do you think you're the only warrior who's struggled with issues of control?" Solari responded, unfazed. "If you're serious about mastering your anger, you can learn."

"Tryin'," the Destroyer muttered. "Being around all these people doesn't help."

"Get yourself into some trouble, Tira Darkheart?" Ephiny, now alone, asked without turning around. She had been completely aware of the earlier altercation.

"Artemisia says our champion is her new best friend," Solari quipped.

"Wonderful," Ephiny sighed, rolling her eyes. "I think you've had enough excitement for one day. Let's find a place for you to sleep, hm?"

The Destroyer lounged comfortably on a spacious straw bed in the center of a sparsely furnished but otherwise adequate room. The sun had dropped below the trees and the window was on the east wall, making the area quite dim. The low light was irrelevant to the large wildcat who sprawled next to his mistress on the mattress. Mendi's attention was repeatedly drawn to a small wood mouse scurrying in the corner.

"Leave it," his companion scolded as she stroked his long brown and gray fur. She scratched his stomach, where the fur tended to tan instead of brown, making him purr with delight. "You'll break something if you chase it in here."

"So?"

"It's not our stuff, Mendi."

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you about that. You said the Amazons gave you a really nice hut on the edge of the village to stay in, right?"

"They sure did."

"And you'll be left alone unless you want to come out or they absolutely need you for something, right?"

"Yup."

"So, if your place is so great…" Mendi jumped down and paced around the room he was finding increasingly confining. "…why aren't we in there?"

The Destroyer smiled impishly. "You can jump out the window and wait for me there if you want." She shifted on the bed so that she was laid out on her back, hands behind her head, so that her body stretched to its full length. "I wanted to spend some time with you is all, since it's been such a weird day. I had to deal with a lot of humans. Did you know humans are absolutely crazy? I assumed I was the crazy one all these years, but now I think I'm fine. They're the ones with the problem."

"I still don't understand. Why are you in here? Why don't we both go back to your place? I'm sleepy and I don't want to sleep alone here in this strange place."

"I'm waitin' on something, bro, I told ya," she replied impatiently.

"What for? Whose room is this, anyway?"

Just then there was a fumbling sound at the door. Large as he was, Mendi found a way to duck under the bed, leaving only his bushy tail exposed and flicking in annoyance. The Destroyer's grin broadened, becoming almost predatory. The latch clicked open and the door swung in to reveal the master healer holding a candle, his large frame silhouetted by the twilight outside. Upon seeing the stranger lying contentedly on his bed, he yelped with fright and nearly dropped his candle. His uninvited guest was amused to see the strapping young man so unnerved. She looked his features over in the flickering light of his candle as he stood frozen in the doorway. His eyes were dark brown, only a shade lighter than her own, but his hair was much lighter, nearly dirty blonde in color. It spilled sloppily down his head before stopping abruptly at the level of his ears on all sides, having been shaved at the base of his skull. He had a relatively small nose, although it was well-defined, and his jaw was strong and square. The healer was clean-shaven for the most part, but it had been over a day since his last shave and whiskers were evident on his chin. He wore a simple sleeveless vest and loose linen slacks.

"You're Sedgik, right?" the girl asked easily, her eyes narrowed.

"Yes, but – wait, I remember you. I saw you in Eponin's room earlier today. You must be one of the Amazons I haven't met yet."

"Not quite, fella. I'm no Amazon, I can tell ya that."

"Well then, if you don't mind me asking, who are you?"

"I'm the girl who's gonna keep you up late tonight."

Sedgik's eyebrows knitted together in bewilderment. "Uh, right."

_That was so stupid. Why did I say that? It sounded completely different in my head! This is not how I thought this was supposed to go down. I feel like an idiot!_

"You're going to mate with him?" A fierce feline whisper broke into the young woman's uncertain thoughts. "You could have told me! I've never seen humans rut before. Can I watch?"

"No you cannot watch!" Mendi's mistress hissed back at him under her breath, peeking under the bed. "What is wrong with you? You have problems, bro!"

"Are you all right?" Sedgik asked hesitantly, not having heard the cat speak and not recognizing the exposed tail as anything but a shadow. Scratching his head in confusion, he set his candle in the holder on the small table near the door and shut it behind him. Although he had been startled initially by the stranger's unexpected presence in his bed, his apprehension now mixed with concern.

"Yeah I'm fine absolutely fine no problems here," the Destroyer blurted, bolting upright and flashing Sedgik a broad smile she hoped would exude confidence. Soon realizing the only thing such a smile might exude was her oversized canine killing teeth, she laughed nervously and brushed a hand back through her hair. _Good thing it's dark in here. He's expected to lay Amazons, not monsters. Oh shit, what if there's kissing? He'll feel those! Kissing's right out, then. I don't know how to do it anyhow._ "So ah, whaddya say? You want a go at me?"

Sedgik shrugged and removed his vest, seeming hesitant. The Destroyer's eyes drank in the sight of the shirtless healer in the candlelight. He was built like a laborer, his upper body well-sculpted and solid. She saw a faint trace of hair on his chest and running down his lower stomach. "Well, it's what I'm here for, I guess. If you don't mind though, I'd really like to know…who are you?"

The Destroyer opened her mouth to answer, then sighed in resignation and looked down. _We don't even know each other. This is ridiculous. What was I thinking?_ "A complete idiot."

Sedgik laughed in spite of himself. He laid his vest on the table next to the candle and approached the strange young woman cautiously. He was not sure why he felt the need to leave some distance between them, but his instincts told him it was a good idea. "I'm sure that's not true."

The brunette swung her legs over the side of the bed and moved over, allowing an arm's length between her and the healer as he sat down next to her, still shirtless. She felt a familiar ache as she glanced over at his body. He was close enough that she drank in his scent. Even though he had been working all day, he smelled better than any person she had ever been close to. Though part of her urged her strongly to tackle the man, she had to admit to herself that she had very little sense regarding what would come after. _Eyes up, stupid. Look at him. Talk to him. If you don't explain yourself you'll look even more foolish. He's just a human, after all. Who cares what he thinks?_ "Yeah, it is. Look, Sedgik, it's like this. Ephiny said that you were the healer but that you were also here to, er, service the Amazons. I was curious so I thought I'd come here and see what it was like. But it's not simple that way. I don't have it in me to just, y'know, do that, barely talkin' to you or anything. So I can't. I mean, shit, I don't even let people touch me, so how did I expect to be able to let you do it just like that?" The Destroyer found herself laughing at how ridiculous her expectations had been. "I'm sorry, man. Didn't mean to disappoint you."

"I'm not disappointed at all," Sedgik replied, smiling easily. "It's not like that for me either. I know I'm supposed to, that is, if any Amazon asks me. But so far no one has and I'm actually a little bit relieved you don't want to. It would be very strange. I'm not even sure I could, ah, perform on cue like that. When I first saw you in here I was more terrified than anything."

"Scared? Really? Big guy like you?"

"Well, I'm not really a fighter. I know I'm strong, but I don't like to use my strength to hurt people. I'd rather help them up than tear them down."

The wild woman laughed in disbelief. "You don't fight. Hah. That's pretty funny." Seeing the earnest expression on his face she realized he meant it. "You're not kiddin'."

"No."

"Wow. Anyway, like I said, sorry 'bout all this, Sedgik. I'll get out of your hut and I won't bother ya again."

"You don't have to, you know. We could sit here and talk."

The Destroyer swallowed hard. "Talk?" _More?_

"Sure. No one around here really talks to me if they don't have to. The Centaurs were a lot friendlier. I'm pretty sure the Amazons don't care for me being male, but you said you weren't an Amazon anyhow. I'm interested in what brought you here, what you're doing. I never expected another 'outsider' to come along while I was here. Might be nice if we got to know each other a little, don't you think?"

"Well, maybe," the Destroyer grunted, staring at her toes. Seeing Mendi's tail still poking out from under the bed, she was struck with an idea. She used her foot to tug on her cat's tail until he emerged from his hiding place, stretching and nudging her shins.

"By the gods!" Sedgik yelped, leaping up onto the bed. "What is that?"

"This is my best friend, Mendi. You can call me Tira Darkheart." _And now we have something to talk about._


	8. Friendly Advice

A thin, bedraggled-looking blonde woman reclined comfortably on a finely-made lounger in an otherwise empty room. She was dressed in fine clothes, but they fit her loosely, as if they were several sizes too big. The entertainment area of the aristocrats' estate was in complete disarray around her, with overturned dishes and severely bruised fruit littering the floor. Alongside the damaged furnishings and flatware, a few charred corpses lay gathering flies in the midday sun. The blonde was holding the remnants of a bunch of grapes over her face, nimbly plucking them one at a time from the stems with her teeth. She did not bat an eye when another woman materialized suddenly just a few paces in front of her, a powerful-looking warrior dressed in Amazon leathers.

"Welcome back, mighty goddess," Iphianassa greeted through a mouthful of fruit, barely looking up. In the few days that she had been staying with the Amazon immortal since freeing her, Iphianassa had slowly dropped the formality she had displayed initially. Velasca did not want to be worshipped. She wanted to be feared. Because both Velasca and Iphianassa understood each other's abilities and usefulness to each other and Iphianassa immediately took pains to adopt a subordinate role, Velasca did not require additional platitudes to that effect. "How went the hunting? Have your powers returned to you completely?"

"Oh yes. I can teleport effortlessly, just as I was once able to, if a bit more slowly than I think is proper to a god. My fighting skills are somewhat improved over when I was first trapped, if I'm not mistaken. I can send a mortal insect flying with the flick of a finger if he's caught unaware. And yet…" Velasca ran a fingertip over her still-bloody dagger. "There's something so satisfying about doing the job by hand."

"My mistress will always carry a warrior's approach to battle close to her heart," Iphianassa replied, swinging her feet down to the ground and dragging her delicate skirt through the dirt in the process. "I always found such methods too dirty for my tastes."

Velasca smiled, her cold blue eyes flashing. "You're as bloodthirsty as I am, in your own way. That's why we get along so well. Together we can make quick work of Ephiny and the rest of the spineless tribal leadership, and then I can assume my proper place as leader of the Amazons. If anyone has a problem with that, we can take care of them too. I would be very interested to see how you use your powers in the service of torture, Iphianassa. I make a study of suffering, you know. It tells a lot about human nature."

"These dogs certainly begged for mercy in the most pathetic way possible," Iphianassa laughed, briefly cocking her head at one pile of corpses in the corner.

"Whose estate was this again? Not that it matters."

"Mmm, some bastard named Actaeon who always trespassed on Amazon hunting grounds," Iphianassa answered with a shrug. "Too bad he wasn't here to enjoy the barbecue."

"It would be fun to see the look on his face when he gets back." Velasca smiled cruelly and let her medium-brown hair down from its bun. "But we can't wait for that. I'm planning a strike on the main Amazon camp tomorrow, assuming your powers are recovered. That is, unless you prefer to hang back and watch."

"No, no, mistress. I have my own targets for revenge. I'll make Solari wish she had never thrown me in the mud and beaten me."

"Oh, Solari." Velasca shook her head and clicked her tongue. "She always was too brave to be smart. I've no problem leaving her to you. But Ephiny is mine. Remember that." Velasca suddenly tensed, her muscular frame becoming visibly alert. "We have company. You stay here. I'll be back in a moment."

Velasca vanished with a flash and rematerialized on the roof of the ruined common area. She raised an eyebrow and smirked when she saw the identity of the visitor. "Well, well. You being here is unexpected, to say the least. I don't believe we've been formally introduced."

A dark, leather-clad figure smiled back at her confidently. "I already know who you are, Velasca. Another one of those rogue goddesses that seem to pop up now and again, always seeming to get on the wrong side of the Warrior Princess. How was the rock nap?"

"Your reputation precedes you, God of War," Velasca sneered, dropping all pretense of joviality. "What do you want? I'm not doing anything that concerns you."

"Oh, but you are. You're about to cause bloodshed and mayhem, and that always concerns me." Ares spread his arms disarmingly. "Don't take my bluntness badly, Velasca. I like what you're doing. That's why I wanted to offer you a little friendly advice."

"Go on," Velasca prodded cautiously.

"Planning on attacking the Amazon capital tomorrow, hm? Think it'll be a one-woman job?"

"Surely you're not suggesting I can't crush their pathetic resistance?" Velasca asked defensively. "They're no threat to me. I can wipe out Ephiny and all her lackeys in the blink of an eye. They'll know who their real leader is then."

"Normally you'd be right, of course," Ares crooned patronizingly. "Problem is, they've got a little secret weapon you weren't counting on. Ever heard of a Destroyer, Velasca?"

"Can't say I have. Why should I care about a Destroyer, whatever that is?"

"Because she happens to be able to kill a god."

Velasca blanched at this revelation. "You lie. Even a god can't kill another god."

"The Destroyer isn't a god. She's a monster, born specifically to lay waste to all gods. She can do it. I've seen it myself." Ares tactfully omitted the embarrassing fact that the Destroyer had wounded him and purposefully spared his life.

"How did they get one of these, these things?" Velasca hissed, furious. "How did they find one in less than a week?"

"Maybe you aren't the only goddess with an interest in Amazon affairs, or did you forget about the object of your past devotion? You worshipped her as fervently as any, am I right? Even as she abandoned your sisters to their slaughter?" Ares had never spoken to Velasca before, but he had a reasonable idea of what might raise her ire. He'd listened in on enough Amazon warriors whispering in back corners to know what they thought of their patron goddess's indifference in recent times.

"NOW she decides to intervene? That insufferable –" Velasca saw the satisfaction on Ares's face at having guessed her grudge correctly and composed herself. "What's your answer to all of this? Can this Destroyer, as you call her, be killed?"

"Quite easily. A well-placed arrow, a slashing blade. That's all it would take. She's just a girl. Her overconfidence is her biggest weakness, as with any young warrior."

"But you think I'd be taking an unnecessary risk, going in alone?" Velasca asked, trying to follow Ares's logic.

"Wouldn't it be better, and make a bigger statement, if you had a legion of loyal Amazon warriors at your back when you sent Ephiny and her friends to the other side? Don't you think it worthwhile to seek out some of your former sisters who are as dissatisfied as you once were?"

"Assemble my followers before the takeover, not after," Velasca mused. "It would give me a certain satisfaction, to see the look on the Queen Regent's face when she sees that she's lost the support of her own tribe. It would also show me who's truly strong, who deserves a place in the new Amazon Nation I'll build."

"Best of all," Ares interjected, taking a few steps toward Velasca, "it would put a wall of expendable fighters between you and the only threat to your victory. Throw enough Amazons at the Destroyer and she's sure to go down eventually. Once she's out of the way, you've got nothing to fear. If you don't take care of the Destroyer, you'll have to look over your shoulder for the rest of your reign. The Amazon Nation means nothing to her. She wants to kill you for sport, to show off her strength. That's all."

The would-be Amazon usurper folded her arms and gave Ares a steely stare. "You aren't in the habit of giving free advice, from what I've heard. What's in it for you? Let me guess. This Destroyer, whoever she is, got on your bad side?"

"Oh, she's annoying, I'll grant you that. But I have no personal animosity towards the girl, or anyone you're planning to kill, for that matter. Let's just say that having you in charge of the Amazons is its own reward. I don't anticipate a peaceful existence for the tribes if you're in charge. There's the matter of the Centaur Nation, for instance…"

"I'll kill every one of those half-formed vermin!" Velasca hissed.

Ares grinned broadly. "See what I mean? Now get out there and bring sisters to your cause. Let the Queen Regent feel some heat before you finish her off. Make her squirm."

"It'll be my pleasure."

"I knew it would." With a parting wave, Ares vanished and reappeared in the Halls of War, his stronghold and refuge. He flopped lazily in his favorite throne, reveling in his amusement. "That'll teach you to steal a potential protégé, sis. Regardless of whether the Destroyer kills off Velasca or not, the blood of your Amazons will soak forests all over the country for years to come. Nothing like a full-blown civil war to rack up a respectable body count. Besides, facing Velasca one-on-one would have been way too easy for my psychotic little Tira Darkheart. I'd like to see her take on a real challenge for a change. When pushed to the edge, she'll have no choice but to fall back on that bloodlust I find so entertaining."

Ephiny and Solari stood together at the edge of the stream they always used to play in together as children, along with Terreis and Eponin, deep in the heart of the Amazon hunting grounds. The Queen Regent rested her somber gaze upon her trusted right hand. "It's the only way."

"There has to be something else. It'll unsettle them all too much. It's bad enough to make it public that we're facing Velasca yet again, but to tell everyone that their chosen champion is Dahak's Destroyer? Are you sure we can't send Tira Darkheart with a few of my best to seek out and kill Velasca and Iphianassa tomorrow night? I'll go personally. I'll make sure it's taken care of once and for all."

"Don't be ridiculous, Solari. That's a suicide mission and you know it. We have to face Velasca and Iphianassa with all the might of this tribe. Tira Darkheart may be eager to throw herself into overwhelming odds, but I'm not. She's still just one young woman, even if she is born of Dahak's spawn. I want certain victory, with as few of our sisters lost as possible."

"But to hold a ceremony and announce everything…"

"It's the only way. Our sisters have the right to know what's happening. You heard that the rumors were flying as soon as Eponin's injuries became known. Everyone knew what Iphianassa was capable of doing. Even before our inexperienced champion blurted the truth to your scout squad, people were thinking of Velasca. If we aren't honest about who Tira Darkheart is, no one will understand why Artemis would send us one wild teenager to defend us. I'm going to formally present her as Artemis's champion at a ceremony tomorrow night, and that's final. Now, will you support me in this or am I on my own?"

Solari shoved Ephiny in irritation. "You know I'll do whatever I can. But Ephiny, there's more involved here than just strategy, even if it feels wrong to think about it. There's already dissent among the tribes, and your leadership has been questioned more than once. The political fallout from endorsing the Destroyer could be very bad for you."

"Showing a lack of leadership would be worse."

"I wish that were true. Did you forget so soon that our own sisters locked us up not two years ago when it looked like Velasca would be queen? More of our tribe than I care to admit swore allegiance to you with a forked tongue."

Ephiny put her face in her hands and exhaled wearily before turning to her friend once again. "I'm not disagreeing with anything you've said. I'm not blind and deaf, Solari. Even the goddess is aware of the deep divisions in our Nation. Tira Darkheart said as much. I think it's one reason Artemis stayed out of our affairs for so long. Too many different factions were claiming they acted in her name when all they really wanted was power and control. But I refuse to take the easy road at the cost of our sisters' lives. We'll rally behind the Destroyer or we'll be wiped out. It's that simple. It's up to the tribe now." The world-weary Queen Regent shook her head. "The first thing you find out when you act as queen is how little power you actually have."

Solari rested a comforting hand on Ephiny's shoulder. "Gabrielle would be proud of you. I'll start the preparations for the ceremony immediately. We can do the hunting for the feast today, and our larders were already full." The Chief Strategist bit her lip. "There's something else that's been bothering me about all of this."

"What's that?"

"Tira Darkheart. What do you think her motives are?"

Ephiny shrugged. "Does it matter, as long as she helps us?"

"It matters to me. The girl's half-wild. She's smart and she's observant but you can see the strain it puts on her just to carry on a conversation. She tries to act like she's comfortable with us but she's obviously faking it. My point is, she's nothing but a mercenary. What if she already got what she wants from Artemis and decides she has no incentive to risk herself after all? What if she abandons us in the middle of the battle?"

"Let me ask you this, Solari. You've spent some time with the Destroyer now. Do you believe she has honor?"

"I don't know. How can you have honor without loyalty? Don't you see it in her eyes, Ephiny? She answers only to herself."

"Does she have pride? Not vanity, but genuine pride?"

Solari snorted. "Yes. She's got that in abundance."

"What would it do to that pride, carrying around the burden of knowing she wasn't true to her word? Don't you think personal pride is the best assurance of honor you can have, beyond even loyalty?"

The dark-haired woman laughed in spite of herself. "Are you sure we're still talking about Tira Darkheart? If I didn't know any better I'd think we were discussing Artemisia."

Ephiny allowed a moment to pass before she replied, "I'm not sure they're too different. Not in the ways that matter to the question of honor. You may not have much faith in your daughter, Solari, but I do. She'll find her way. Tira Darkheart can, too, if she can learn that not every human is an object of distrust. That 'wildness' you speak of is probably the armor she's learned to wear. Despite her heritage I see a young woman that's all too human."

"Since when did the formerly surliest Amazon in camp learn to talk like an elder?" Solari teased.

"I guess things change when you become a mother."

"I guess they do," the First Officer agreed. "Artemisia's going to pick a fight with Tira Darkheart the first chance she gets," she added after a moment.

"Will you let her?"

"Yes."

"Solari," Ephiny began, but hesitated, looking at her friend with concern. "It's all right to be worried. She's the Destroyer, for Artemis's sake. She's got teeth like that cat of hers. No one would bat an eye if they saw you 'discipline' your daughter. You could drag her away."

"Artemisia has to learn." Solari's eyes suddenly widened as she remembered her conversation with the Destroyer from the day before. "Tira Darkheart offered to ignore her insults."

"Why?"

"Because she didn't want to hurt my daughter."

Ephiny smiled at her friend and clapped her heavily on the back. "So that's the last I'll hear about Tira Darkheart's honor, am I right?"


	9. Shadowing

When Sedgik went into the infirmary early in the morning to begin his work, he was somewhat surprised to find the Destroyer there waiting for him. He saw no sign of Mendi. The Destroyer was leaning casually in the back corner of the anteroom, arms folded, and responded to his questioning glance with an aloof shrug. Seeing that she had no intention of speaking, Sedgik passed her by, grabbing his apron and going over to the small tub where he scrubbed his hands each morning before starting his work. After some time had gone by Sedgik realized that he was being observed as he moved about the infirmary, making his rounds to check on each of his patients' conditions. He looked over his shoulder at the lingering young woman who watched him. "Tira Darkheart, did you need something? Are you hurt or sick?"

"I'm fine. Just watching. People's work is interesting. I want to see."

"You're interested in healing?" Sedgik asked somewhat incredulously. He still did not know the Destroyer very well, barely at all in fact, but she did not strike him as the type to be interested in medicine.

"I'm interested in everything," she replied, a little more forthcoming than her usual self. Although the Destroyer typically feigned disinterest in and distaste for her surroundings when she was not alone with Mendi, the truth was that she had spent copious amounts of her free time watching people. Work was her favorite thing to observe, particularly if it required any special skill or knowledge of a trade. From observation alone, she had learned some tasks well enough to do odd jobs for people in the towns and cities she wandered when the mood took her. It was a good source of disposable income and more than covered her few expenses. She also found it much easier to deal with other people when they worked together on a common task and exchanged few, if any, words. The first people she sought out when looking for work were the surly blacksmith, the gruff carpenter, the distracted potter.

"Uh, all right," Sedgik replied. _As long as she doesn't disturb the women, she's not doing any harm here. _He went back to his rounds, noting the condition of all of the sick or injured Amazons in his care, finally visiting Eponin as his last patient. "Good morning, Eponin. How are you?"

"Stiff and sore," the irate Amazon warrior grumbled, defiantly tossing her wavy brown hair as she sat up. "Are you ever going to let me out of here, healer boy?"

"I'm only concerned about your safety," Sedgik replied with a smile. He and Eponin had developed a routine argument they went through each day. Although she feigned rough treatment of him and he remained formal and polite, they had grown to like each other in the days she had been in his custody. "You seem to be much better, though. Maybe tomorrow we can get you up and about a little, with a staff to lean on and a friend to keep an eye on you."

"My staff is for bashing in skulls, son. It's not a damn cane," Eponin snapped. Just then the warrior saw the top of a head and two nearly black eyes peeking at her through the doorway of her room. "Got yourself a new assistant, healer boy? Welcome, champion. Come on in here and let me get a good look at you."

The Destroyer did as she was asked and came over to Eponin's pallet. Sedgik's eyebrows edged higher at the mention of the word "champion". When they had spoken before, the Destroyer had hinted that she had come to protect the Amazons from a grave threat, he had only smiled indulgently at what he perceived as a fanciful boast. He knew, however, that Eponin was not in the habit of joking about Amazon matters. _The more I see of her, the more she intrigues me. There's so much I want to know about her. I wish she wasn't so withdrawn!_

"You better heal up so you don't miss the battle," the visitor teased through a roguish half-grin. "I can tell you love a good brawl as much as I do."

Eponin laughed heartily, able to do so without coughing for the first time since her injury. "That's true. Hey healer, let me talk to the kid in peace, huh? Top secret Amazon strategy we have to discuss here."

"All right, but if you need anything, just call," Sedgik replied before he slipped out of the room.

"What's to talk about? I'm gonna kill Velasca."

"Sure hope so, Tira Darkheart, although I don't see how you can. Artemis give you some kind of weapon that'll do the job?"

"Not exactly," the Destroyer answered, realizing that Ephiny and Solari hadn't revealed her identity to Eponin yet. _Could I really tell her?_ "I, ah, have some skills that might come in handy."

Eponin sensed the evasiveness in her visitor's tone, saw the hesitation in the shining eyes. "You ever killed anyone before, Tira Darkheart?"

The Destroyer grit her teeth and swallowed. "Yeah," she answered flatly.

The seasoned warrior regarded her goddess's champion carefully. "You've really seen some shit, haven't you, girl?"

"Yeah."

"You know, we take in teens like you all the time."

"Not for me," the Destroyer replied quickly, waving Eponin's suggestion off. "I don't join stuff. I don't need hum – er, people. I'm a free agent, y'know?"

"Right." Eponin raised a knowing eyebrow, but didn't push the issue.

"I have to go. I'm watchin' Sedgik. It interests me."

"It interests you? Or he interests you?" Eponin teased. Instead of answering, the Destroyer flicked her eyes out the door, looking for the healer in the main room. She could not completely hide her predatory intent. The Amazon warrior chuckled. "It's like that, is it? Well, you go on then. But if you don't see me outside tomorrow you come in here and beat healer boy until he lets me out, all right?"

"Sure thing," the Destroyer laughed, leaving Eponin to rest as she searched for Sedgik. She found him in the anteroom removing his apron and his vest. She tried not to stare too obviously at his bare torso. "Now what are you doin'?"

Sedgik sighed and wiped his face with a clean rag. "Getting ready for the boring, tiring part of the day," he groaned. "Every single linen, bandage, and piece of equipment has to be washed."

"You do all that?"

"I have to. Unless there's an emergency, I have to spend most of the day just keeping this place up. I may be an well-respected on the outside, but in this camp literally everyone ranks above me so I can't get much help. Being a healer's not all excitement, you know?"

"Guess I could help you," the wild woman muttered.

"You would do that? Oh, great! Thank you so much, Tira Darkheart! Everything dirty is already in the washroom, just waiting in a big, scary pile."

The Destroyer chuckled at Sedgik's joke and took her place beside him in front of a basin of very hot water. They began to work in silence, scrubbing filthy pallet covers alongside one another. As she was vigorously rubbing a sheet against the rough washboard, her eyes wandered over to Sedgik again. Distracted from her work, she gashed her finger open on a splinter in the cracked wood. "Ow, shit."

"You all right? Let me see it." Sedgik stopped his work immediately and turned to his companion.

"It's fine. Cut my finger is all. It's barely even bleeding." She held up her hand to show where she had sliced into her left index finger. Sedgik thought it looked deeper than she was admitting to.

"Hmm. You should probably stop, then. This is not good work to do if you have any open wounds on your hands. The dirty water could cause an infection. Here, I can clean it up for you," he insisted, reaching for her hand.

"No, it's nothin'," she said emphatically as she backed away from him.

"Well, if you say so. But no more washing, all right?"

"Sorry. I'll get out of your way, then."

"No, don't." Sedgik's deep brown eyes were pleading. "Do you know bored I get without company? I really hate this part of the day. I don't mind if you can't help. Besides, the last time we talked, you found out all sorts of things about me, but I learned more about your cat Mendi than anything else. I still want to know about you."

The Destroyer frowned. She knew what Sedgik said was true. She had proudly showed her brother off for the first part of their conversation that night, then sat back and listened while Sedgik talked about his past. She knew that he came from a town called Cirra that was burned by raiders more than eight years ago, that he had become an apprentice healer soon after that, and that he was now aged twenty-two. She knew that he had traveled extensively around Greece gaining experience with the most proficient healers known and that he specialized in treating traumatic injuries, especially if they were combat-related. He had finally decided to strike out on his own when he was hired as the chief healer of an embattled group of centaurs. Because he had done such a good job training apprentices among their ranks, they had felt confident they could do without him for a short while and exchanged him with the Amazon blacksmith. "So, what do ya wanna know?"

"Well, we could start with this champion business. Sounds like you're some kind of hot-shot warrior after all. I admit I was a little skeptical at first, I mean since you're fairly young and not loaded down with weapons and armor and such. But it's true, you're really a strong fighter?"

"Yeah. I love to mix it up, especially when somebody really needs a beating," she replied enthusiastically. "I mean, you know how satisfying it is, right?"

Sedgik scoffed and slowly shook his head. "I told you before. I'm not really a violent guy. If you want the truth, fighting and war make me uncomfortable. The things armed conflict does to people are terrible. That's why I became a healer, and why I concentrated on treating war wounds. I wanted to mitigate the suffering I saw around me."

"Oh," the Destroyer mumbled. _Shit. Shit! He's repulsed by violence and I'm a monster that lives for it, lives only BECAUSE of it. This may not work out after all. I don't despise him like a typical human, because he really seems to care about his work. But if he finds out what I am, he'll hate me just like everyone else. What do I do? I could get outta here. He's only a man. He's not important._ She set her jaw resolutely. _No. I'm more than a killer. I want people to see that. Might as well start with him._ "You know, I do other stuff too. I live in the woods most of the time by myself, well except for Mendi. I know how to survive almost anywhere on my own."

"Really? That's amazing! If you don't mind me asking, why are you by yourself? In my village, young women your age were still living with their parents. Where are your parents? What does your father do?"

"My father was a woodsman. He taught me a thing or two. Guess that's one reason it comes so naturally to me." She stretched her arms up, then laced her fingers behind her head so that she was somewhat vainly showing off. "Yep, put an axe in my hands and I can really show ya somethin'."

"Chopping trees for lumber is a good, honorable trade," Sedgik nodded. He suddenly paused, realizing he might want to tread carefully. "You said was."

"He's dead," she answered without emotion.

"An accident?"

"Some people called it an accident."

Sedgik picked up on the obvious bitterness. "He was killed? I'm so sorry."

"It was five years ago. I get by."

"So you've been all on your own since then? But what about your mother?"

The Destroyer laughed a cold, quiet, mirthless laugh that sent a shiver through Sedgik's spine, though he didn't know why. "Do us both a favor and don't ask about my mother."

"Again, I'm very sorry," Sedgik apologized. He quickly changed the subject. "I can't help but notice you have a little bit of an accent. You aren't from Greece, are you?"

"Naw. I was born pretty far north of here. Made my way down here to where the action is," she quipped. "Seriously, these civilizations are fascinating." A smile spread across her face as she realized which of her skills might impress the sociable young man. "I can read Greek, y'know," she boasted.

"Really? Amazing! How? This isn't even your native language!" Sedgik sighed. "I wish I could read. I mean, I read enough to be able to make out notes related to my work, but I can't read anything the scholars or bards write." He smiled at her. "You're very surprising, Tira Darkheart. What will you spring on me next?" Their conversation had developed slowly as Sedgik worked, with many prolonged pauses. He was just finishing his task, and most of the day had passed them by. "Speaking of surprises, I wasn't expecting you to need my services today, and yet you found a way to bloody yourself. Let me see that hand."

"Naw, I told you, it's fine." The Destroyer had snuck a sly glance at her finger when she realized that Sedgik would remember her accident. What she saw had tempted her to find a way to cut it on something else, but she didn't have the chance.

"I know you said you don't care for being touched, but it can't be so hard to give me your hand, can it?" Sedgik's voice was gentle. He rinsed his hands in a bowl of clean water and took a couple steps towards his skittish companion. "Come on. All I want is to see if there's any debris in there. No need to be nervous. Surely someone like you has dealt with a lot worse than a cut finger!"

"Look, back up, man!" she cautioned, putting her hands up in front of her before she thought carefully about what she was doing. Sedgik's eyes went wide. Before either of them had enough time to process the situation he reflexively grabbed her hand. She pulled it away immediately, but it was too late.

The experienced healer knew what he had seen when the accident had just happened, and he knew what he saw now. The somewhat deep cut on the young woman's finger had become, by the end of the day, only a raised red line. The man took a couple steps backward in shock. "Tira Darkheart…what are you?"


	10. Won't Back Down

_Aw, shit. Shit, shit, shit. Should have known my typical clumsiness would get me into hot water. Now what am I supposed to do? Even the Amazons don't know what I am yet. Solari wouldn't want me telling him of all people. I don't even know if I want to be telling him. Ah, damn, I guess I have to. Keeping yourself to yourself is one thing, but open dishonesty isn't my style. I'm no liar. Want to know what I am, Sedgik? Careful what you wish for._

"You know, usually when I get found out, it's because of these," the Destroyer answered. She grinned broadly, prominently showing her fearsome canine teeth.

Sedgik scrambled backwards instinctively, nearly upending himself into the washtub as he did so. "By the gods!" he yelped. "Those are like wolves' teeth!"

"Hey shut up, willya? The other Amazons don't know about me except for Ephiny and Solari and I'm pretty sure they'd like to keep it that way. You don't wanna get in trouble with the Queen Regent do ya?"

"I don't want to get into trouble with YOU!" the healer stammered quickly, pressing his back against the wooden basin. He was very pale and he trembled slightly.

The Destroyer stepped forward cautiously. "I ain't out to hurt ya, Sedgik," she said, keeping her voice low. Hesitantly she reached out a hand toward the terrified young man even as she wondered why she was doing it.

Sedgik blew out a breath and stopped shaking. "Of course you aren't." He accepted the offered hand. The Destroyer was surprised at how warm his hand felt. She quickly dropped it after pulling him back upright. "I'm very sorry, that was rude of me. It's just, I mean, you can't blame me for being a little shocked!" His dark eyes sparkled as he asked shyly, "Can I see those teeth again? How fascinating!"

"Well, why not?" The Destroyer pulled her lip back again so he could see her teeth, just long enough to be dangerous but still short enough that they did not affect her speech or come across too obviously to someone who wasn't looking closely. Sedgik brought his face very close to hers, making her feel slightly agitated, though his look of fear had been replaced by curiosity. She shut her mouth and ducked out of his gaze. "Bit too close there."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sedgik apologized, backing up a step. "I've never seen anything or anyone like you. If it's not too forward of me to ask this, er…"

"What?"

"Well I was just wondering if there were any other, ah, unusual things about your body, anything else obviously not human?"

_Not on the outside, anyhow,_ the Destroyer remarked sardonically to herself. "Nah. Pretty much a shaggy and beefed-up girl. That's all."

Sedgik rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You're born of an immortal, aren't you? That's why you're here to help the Amazons. You're a demi-god like Hercules."

The Destroyer had heard tales of Hercules's straightforward, do-gooder personality. _Hah. Like Hercules, eh? Maybe not. But close enough._ "Somethin' like that." She noticed that Sedgik was staring at her again, smiling strangely. _Now what's his problem?_ "What's with the grin?"

"Now I feel like I know something about you," he answered. "I think maybe we're becoming something like friends?" He said it as a question, not a statement, reminding himself of her frequently aloof nature.

"I dunno," the Destroyer muttered. "Listen, Sedgik. You may know something about me, but you still don't know me. It's not the same. There's some things about me you may not like. I fight. All the time. It's what I'm good at, what I do. You sound like you don't care much for that sort of thing…or the sort of person who does it."

"I'm sure you have your reasons," he offered diplomatically. "It sounds like we've both had it rough, in our own different ways. Maybe you handled it differently from me, that's all."

The Destroyer found an idea creeping into her head. "What do they feed you around here, man? Big as you are, I'm sure you can clear a table."

"Actually, my rations are just root porridge, so far."

She cringed at the mention of eating nothing but a tasteless, starchy soup. "Not tonight. You go do your healer thing and finish up around here. Later you'll get a real dinner."

"Sure," Sedgik replied in bewilderment, having no idea what was wrong with root porridge or what he would be getting instead, but interested in finding out. "Will you come to my hut?"

"No way. Mine's nicer, so I expect you to be there. You get the shit end of things for being male, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Sedgik laughed ruefully.

Sedgik and the Destroyer parted ways outside of the infirmary. The young woman wanted to see Ephiny and make sure she didn't have a problem with her hunting in Amazon woods. _I'll tell her she can have everything I don't eat. The fact that I'm sharing it with Sedgik can be my secret._ She didn't really think it would matter to the Queen Regent whether she gave some meat to Sedgik, but she enjoyed keeping her interactions with the healer private. She wasn't sure why. It gave her a sense of excitement, and that was all the reason she needed. As she crossed the Amazon commons, lost in thought, a familiar, irritating voice called out to her.

"Hey you! Outsider!"

_Damn, not THIS again._ She turned to see Artemisia storming towards her, a bow over her shoulder. The young Amazon was returning from archery practice when she saw the Destroyer and found another opportunity to heckle her. Never one to back down, she stopped walking and folded her arms across her chest. "Now what's your problem?"

"I saw you back at the infirmary, talking to that healer trash. I knew you didn't belong here, but this a low I wasn't expecting. You were consorting with him!"

The brown-haired young woman, genuinely confused, peered back at Artemisia curiously. After an awkward moment of silence between them, the Destroyer shrugged to indicate she still didn't understand why Artemisia took offense.

"He's a man!" the tall redhead raged, nearly knocking her own bow off of her shoulder. "Men are scum! Here you are, supposedly an honored guest, hanging around him! You like him, don't you?" she asked in a tone fit for the toughest prosecutor.

"I wouldn't say I like him, not yet anyhow," she replied truthfully. "But I'd pick his company over yours any day. Are we done yet? You're borin' me."

"We're not done until I say so! You're such a coward, Tira Darkheart. A real warrior would never allow my insults to pass without a fight. You have no place here and you know it."

The Destroyer was about to reply when she saw someone else approach, looking ready to join the altercation. It was the short, wiry, athletic Amazon she recognized as Elena. The newcomer regarded her only briefly, without emotion, before turning her attention to the redhead. "What's going on, Artemisia?" she asked casually. The Destroyer raised her eyebrows in surprise. Elena had a hard appearance, but her voice was smooth as glass, her tone almost disinterested.

"This outsider disgusts me. She's parading around OUR village like she thinks she's special, but she won't even fight me when I call her out! She's soft!"

Elena turned to regard the Destroyer, her expression still neutral. "Why won't you stick up for yourself? It's better to fight as hard as you can and lose then admit defeat right from the start. At least you maintain your honor."

The wild woman snorted in disbelief. "Boy, has Red got you mixed up! No way would I ever lose to the likes of her. I tried explainin' she'd have to have a death wish to get into it with me, but she won't listen, and here she is gettin' in my face again over nothin'."

"Then why won't you show her?" Elena asked. Artemisia, bristling at the implication that she could not defeat her antagonist, had made a move to start towards the Destroyer, but Elena subtly held her back, bracing a strong forearm against her stomach. "It only makes you seem boastful."

"She's temptin' me more by the moment, but I won't do it. Listen, Red, I know who your momma is. You may not have any respect for her but I do. Solari's all right and I'm not gonna punk out her daughter even with her permission, which I have, by the way."

"You have no right to speak of my mother, and stop calling me Red!" Before she could charge at the Destroyer, a strong hand planted on her chest shoved her back. Off-balance and surprised, Artemisia nearly fell over. Elena stood squarely between Artemisia and the Destroyer, her stance even, hands at the ready.

"Fair enough. Solari is certainly someone worth respecting. If you want, you can fight me instead. My mother's no one special, certainly no one you know. I'm happy to fight on Artemisia's behalf."

The Destroyer watched Elena closely, ready for anything. She was intrigued at how different the dark-haired woman's demeanor was from her sister Amazon. Elena was clearly prepared to fight, but she lacked any of the anger, hostility, or eagerness characteristic of Artemisia. _Is she hesitant? Nervous, maybe? Nah, look at her face. She'd bust my nose open in a heartbeat, that is if she could, but she doesn't know what I can do. She's not scared. It's like she doesn't care at all whether she fights me or not._

The Destroyer rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I'll fight you if you want, but it won't solve anything. I mean, I don't have a problem with you. I don't even know you. What's the point? She's the one that needs a thrashing, not you." Losing patience, she growled and took a small step forward. Elena didn't move. "Look, you Amazons have problems. Didn't it ever occur to you that I'm here for a reason? I'm s'posed ta help you! Ya want me to be a brawler, to be reckless? Fine, I can show ya that side. But try to get it through your dense heads that I'm supposed to be more than that, and I'm tryin'!" She was close enough to Elena that either of them could engage if they wanted to, but neither attacked. Elena watched the Destroyer's eyes intently. Without a word she pulled out of her stance and shrugged.

"I guess you're right. There's no problem here," the Amazon agreed. She turned to Artemisia and put an arm around her shoulders agreeably. She had to reach up considerably to do so. "Come on, let's go see how Aunt Eponin is feeling."

"You're just going to let her walk away now? Let her get away with her cowardice?"

Elena spoke to Artemisia, but she looked at the Destroyer as she did so, a thoughtful expression on her face. "She's not afraid – not of me, of you, or of anything else that I can tell. She's correct. It's pointless to fight. Are you coming?"

"No. I'm going to the sweat lodge," Artemisia snapped as she stalked away with her bow. Two other Amazons, seeing where she was headed, fell in step behind her. Soon the three were giggling loudly as one of the Amazons coyly took Artemisia's bow from her. Elena flicked her eyes behind her at Artemisia's departure and sighed just loud enough for the Destroyer to hear.

"Eponin's fine. I saw her this morning," she volunteered.

Elena smiled at her. "Thank you. I knew she would be, but I still want to see her. I'm sorry we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Elena."

"They call me Tira Darkheart."

"See you around, Tira Darkheart," the Amazon acknowledged as she walked away.

"Well that was interesting," another familiar voice called to the Destroyer as she watched Elena head for the infirmary and Artemisia disappear into the sweat lodge, two friends in tow.

"Do you make a habit 'o followin' my scrapes?" the Destroyer asked, amused, as she turned to greet the Queen Regent.

"You don't exactly keep a low profile. What, you expect that you can have a shouting match in the middle of the village common and no one will notice? Everyone's talking about you now."

The Destroyer sighed at Ephiny's revelation. "Great. Well, I'm glad to see ya. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Coincidentally, I was going to say the same thing."


	11. Theory of Mind

A wild boar, ill-tempered and hungry, made his way through a patch of dense underbrush at the base of a hillside. The animal felt threatened, although he could not see any danger nearby. His nervousness was justified. A large, long-furred wildcat was stalking the boar and waited for him at the edge of the underbrush. As soon as the hairy snout of the boar poked out from the thickest of the bushes, the great cat sprinted directly at it. At first the boar turned and attempted to retreat back into the heavy cover, uphill, but the cat was fast enough to sink his claws into one of the boar's haunches.

When he felt the sharp pain in his backside, the boar whirled, and suddenly it was the cat's turn to retreat. The carnivore just barely avoided being gashed by a sharp tusk. Instead of using the opportunity to retreat, the boar, angry and aggressive, came after the wildcat again. Normally a wildcat in such a situation would break off the attack, run, and return to stalking other prey. This predator stood his ground, baring his teeth and snarling to keep the boar at bay.

A blur suddenly flashed down from the trees, surprising the boar but not the cat. The Destroyer, snarling flashing more fiercely than either her partner or her prey, landed squarely on the boar's back, letting its spine take the full force of her weight. In an instant her blade was deep in the animal's side and her teeth were sunk deep into the back of its neck. Overwhelmed by the viciousness of the attack, the boar struggled only briefly before its death. The Destroyer made sure the boar was completely still before withdrawing her face and knife from her prey.

"You would have to pick a boar," Mendi grumbled. "That tusk almost took a piece out of me! Why couldn't we just grab about ten rabbits?"

"You're no fun, brother," the Destroyer teased as she motioned her best friend towards her. She scratched under his chin and stroked his head with her left hand as she wiped off her blade with the right. "It all worked out in the end. You were perfect."

"I didn't even mean for it to come after me!"

"We got the meat, you're not hurt, sounds good to me." Mendi stared up at her as she rested her head between his ears, flicking his tail impatiently. "What? Aren't you going to eat?"

Mendi immediately tore into the boar's flank as soon as the words were out of the Destroyer's mouth. After a few moments of stuffing his mouth, the cat regarded his mistress once again. "I thought maybe you didn't want me to eat it. You said it's for the human male, right?"

"His name is Sedgik," the Destroyer laughed. "It's for him, but that doesn't mean you can't have some, or that I can't either." As she said this, she cut lengthwise under the boar's ribcage, reaching up into the carcass to retrieve what she wanted. She soon pulled out the animal's heart. "I wanted to get a boar because he's probably used to deer and rabbit and things like that. Try not to eat too many of the tender parts. We have to go back soon because it's already getting dark."

"Why are you bringing Sedgik food anyway? Is this part of what humans do when they mate?"

The Destroyer took a large bite out of the boar's heart and emitted a satisfied sigh. She never did understand why she felt compelled to eat the heart of her prey. It wasn't particularly tasty, but she couldn't stop herself. She had instantly gone straight for the heart the first time she had hunted her own animal, and the habit stuck. "I already told you, bro. I'm not mating with Sedgik. I'm not even sure if I like him. He's just interesting, that's all. I want to show him that I'm interesting too, and that I can do good things. I guess I want him to be, what would be the best word for it…impressed with me."

"But you don't care about what the humans think," Mendi noted. "Why is he different?"

"I usually don't care. I can't explain why it feels good to show off for him a little. I mean, there is the mating thing, like you said. I don't plan on doing that with him, but my body still wants to. Really, really badly. He looks good. He even smells good. Maybe that's why I'm more interested in what he thinks. I mean, he seems like a good human. He helps people when they're hurt or sick. The only problem is – well, you might not understand."

Mendi was able to tear himself from the carcass with some effort, realizing he was still supposed to leave some behind. "Tell me anyway."

"He's – he's a good guy, but he's still like all the rest of them. He sees what's in front of him. He doesn't see more."

The cat was about to reply that he didn't know what she was talking about, but he paused, forcing himself to think harder. As his companion had gotten older he noticed that she talked to him about more complicated things. He often struggled to keep up, but he desperately wanted to be able to talk to his mistress on her own level. "It's about why, isn't it."

The Destroyer cocked her head towards her friend curiously. "How so?"

"I know you don't ask me the question often, but you always think about why. Everything you do, you want to know why it happens that way and not another way. Cats don't think about why like that. It sounds like humans don't either. But you have why in your eyes, all the time."

Feeling a great rush of affection for her companion, the Destroyer held him to her chest, burying her head in the soft fur of his flank. In doing so she accidentally smeared boar's blood over his shiny coat. "You do get it. You're the smartest cat around, Mendi. I guarantee it."

Mendi purred loudly, proud of himself. The main reason he worked so hard to talk to his friend even when it was difficult was because he saw how happy it made her and how she showered him with attention when he succeeded. He knew he had his limits, but practice had made the conversations come easier. Perhaps because he had spent so much time thinking beyond what a cat would normally have to consider, he suddenly realized something very important about the Destroyer. "You're different."

Surprised by Mendi's spontaneous observation she pulled back from him and looked into his shining feline eyes. "What?"

"You're not a human, but even if you were, even if you were just like them, you'd still be different from all of them. Wouldn't you?"

A small smile crept across the Destroyer's face. "Yeah, I would be. The things that matter to them and the things that matter to me are so different. It's taken me all these years just to figure out that for most humans, how things look is more important than how they really are."

"There's a difference?"

"Well yeah, a huge difference. See what I mean? You don't even think about, and neither does a typical human. That's why staying here with these Amazons has made everything so complicated." The young woman grabbed the large sack she had brought with her and began maneuvering the remains of the boar inside of it.

"It's complicated? I thought it was mostly about the human male. You mean the Amazons are complicated too? You're just here to kill for them, right?"

The Destroyer sighed as she started walking back towards the village. "It was supposed to be like that, but it's not. Since I've been here I've had to learn so much, so fast. Artemis warned me that Velasca wasn't the only danger to the Amazon nation, and now I know what she meant. They're set against each other, Mendi. They don't all follow Ephiny like they're supposed to, and it has to do with what I was talking about before, with appearances being more important. Ephiny has to do a lot of work to look strong. I've been watching her. All the Amazons have to do it. If you don't keep everyone thinking you're strong by showing it a lot, they might not see your strength even when it's really there. But try to show it too often, and they think you might be fake. These humans spend so much effort on LOOKING right to everyone else instead of really being right. I thought it was just a flaw. For the first time now, I'm starting to understand why they have to do it even when they don't want to. It didn't make a lot of sense until I met that crazy Red girl."

"Red girl?" Mendi asked, following close behind.

"You may not have seen her. She's a young Amazon who's always trying to make me angry. I mean, she does make me angry, really angry. I want to cave her head in. It would be easy. She has no idea how much tougher than her I am."

"Why don't you?"

"Appearances again. They won't believe that I'm really on their side if I go attacking their warriors. Besides, her mother is treating me well. She said it was all right for me to hurt her daughter, but I don't believe her. She really cares about her daughter, the way a mother is supposed to." Bitterness was evident in the Destroyer's tone. She decided to change the subject before she made herself too angry. Spending time alone with Mendi had been an enjoyable and needed distraction, and she did not intend to ruin it now. "Appearances are so important to humans that they have these things called ceremonies that are completely devoted to showing people something."

"Ceremonies?"

"Yeah, and I'm going to be in one tomorrow night. Ephiny told me about it earlier when I asked her if we could hunt by ourselves in the Amazon woods. They're going to do a whole ceremony just so all the Amazons can look at me and see who I am." She stopped and stared back meaningfully at her cat. "She's going to tell everyone I'm the Destroyer."

Mendi's fur stood on edge and his eyes went wide. "That's not smart. They'll hate you. Maybe they'll attack you, attack both of us."

The young woman sighed and resumed walking. "Ephiny said she wouldn't let that happen. They have to know who I am. They have to know that I can kill Velasca. Otherwise there's no point in my being here. We walked into a real mess here with these Amazons, bro. A lot of them are against each other. Ephiny is trying to keep everyone together. I don't know if she can, or even if she should. I mean, it seems easier to me if the ones that don't agree just leave. I don't understand this 'tribe' thing. But I do know that Ephiny needs to look strong and that I need to help her. I see now that I have to be more than just one free-roaming freak, for a little while. I can't just say I'm their champion. I have to show them in a way they can understand, so they really believe it."

"How can you be more than what you are? It doesn't make sense."

"I know it doesn't, but to them it's really important. It's like Xena and Gabrielle. When Gabrielle tells stories about Xena, and people repeat those stories, Xena becomes more than what she is, just because of what people say about her. When she shows up somewhere people will respect her and follow her even if they've never met her before. It's called being a 'legend'. I have to try to be a 'legend' for the Amazons now."

"Do you know what you're going to do?"

The Destroyer stared far ahead into the trees and chuckled. "No, I don't."

Sedgik tapped his feet against the side of the bed nervously. It had been dark for quite some time, and he had waited for the Destroyer in her quarters as she had told him to do, but there was no sign of her. He was weary, and it was nearly time for him to retire for the night. He did not want to disappoint the young woman, who he was beginning to feel a fondness for, but he couldn't help wondering if perhaps she had forgotten about him and run off with her wildcat somewhere. Sedgik found the girl puzzling, to say the least, but it made him want to get to know her better. He had also begun to notice, somewhat to his embarrassment, that his eyes lingered on her powerful frame longer than he intended. Sedgik was usually too wrapped up in his work to take much notice in women, but the Destroyer's clumsy admission of interest at the beginning of their acquaintance paradoxically put him at ease. He knew that if he did ever express the willingness to make their relationship physical, she would not react badly.

"What, you didn't light the candles?" The Destroyer announced her presence by throwing her door open violently and shouting into the darkness, startling Sedgik out of his reverie. "Doncha know it's dark?"

"It wasn't when I got here," Sedgik chuckled, only able to make out the Destroyer's silhouette, as well as Mendi's close at her heels. "I was about to go back to my own hut!"

"Aw damn, I didn't realize it was late. Sorry, I stay up all night sometimes. I forget that you people are on a schedule. I'll be right back." The Destroyer grabbed a nearby torch from its pole on the pathway to her hut. When she returned and was finally visible to Sedgik in the torchlight, it was all he could do to stifle a frightened shout. The young woman was covered in mud and blood. Her cat was by far cleaner in comparison. Behind her she dragged a large sack, also dripping with blood. Seeing the expression on his face, it occurred to her how she must look to him, or to anyone for that matter. _I was so eager to get back that I forgot to clean up in the stream. Dammit. I messed it all up again. I seem to be good at that._ "Er, sorry. I guess I'm still – "

"Covered in blood?" Sedgik finished helpfully, although his voice came out mostly as a squeak. He cleared his throat and forced himself to calm down. "You've been hunting, I see. Do you hunt, uh…do you hunt like your cat hunts, instead of with a bow or a spear?"

"Well yeah." The Destroyer found herself in an awkward position yet again. "I guess I should have mentioned that. So your dinner, it's really – fresh. As in not cooked. I really didn't put as much thought into this issue of time as I should have." She looked at Sedgik's pale face in the torchlight and found herself unable to restrain deadpan honesty. "I feel incredibly stupid right now."

"No, no – don't. Look, things may not have worked out the way you intended, but I can see you put a lot of effort into this. I mean, I can literally see it – it's all over you!" The two shared a laugh at Sedgik's observation, setting the Destroyer at ease. "Why don't you give me what's in the sack and I'll take care of the preparation tomorrow? I can make us breakfast." Sedgik's eyes flicked to the bloody bag. "I'm almost afraid to ask what's in there."

"It's a boar. Mendi and I took it down together. Couldn't have done it without him."

"A BOAR? Those can mutilate you!" Sedgik replied in astonishment. He smiled at the Destroyer after a moment, a strange look in his eye. "You really are more than human, aren't you, Tira Darkheart?"

_More and less, at the same time._ "Something like that. Listen, Sedgik, about tomorrow. There's this ceremony, and it'll be busy, and all these Amazons are going to go crazy all day and they're going to present me to the tribe…"

"Oh, I've been warned. I'm not allowed anywhere near their ceremonies. But I have until the sun is high in the sky before I'm restricted to the infirmary for a day."

"They'll make you sleep there and everything?"

"Yes. I might be needed, and I can't go outside and accidentally see something or they'll kill me."

_Kill him for looking at something? Crazy Amazons._ "Well, here's your dinner, or breakfast, or whatever." She nudged the sack with her bare foot.

"Our breakfast, you mean."


	12. Presenting the Champion

_Author's Note: Sorry about the delay! I know it's been well over a month since I've updated. There's this little thing called school that's got my attention recently. I'm sure I might be forgiven if I make it up to you, so here is some new material with more close at hand. Tira Darkheart is never far from my mind and it can be quite frustrating to be locked into a cycle of assignments when she is counting on me to tell her story. That said, enjoy Chapter 12 and know that the next update will be much quicker!_

The Destroyer slept fitfully and awoke far too early for her tastes on the day of the Amazon presentation ceremony. Grumbling and rubbing the sleep from her eyes she sought out Sedgik in his hut only to discover that he had been up for quite some time. They shared the breakfast he had prepared from her gifted boar largely in silence. Sedgik wanted to talk more with the Destroyer, but he could see that she had weightier things on her mind and respected her reticence. He watched with interest as she split her meal nearly evenly with Mendi, who had accompanied her. She spoke with the cat more than she spoke with Sedgik, in a guttural-sounding language he could not understand. The fact that she talked with her cat slightly unnerved him, but he was getting used to the strangeness that surrounded his new friend. The Destroyer followed him to the infirmary and spent some time helping him with simple chores before she indicated it was time for her to start getting ready for the ceremony.

"Yes, I think they'll be coming by soon to make sure I'm secured in here and can't pollute the goings-on with my maleness," Sedgik laughed, his face coloring slightly.

"You've probably figured it out long before now, but I don't have any problem with your maleness," the Destroyer responded without missing a beat, peering out at him from under her disheveled bangs and flashing a toothy grin.

"You're no Amazon, that's for sure, even though you could pass for one if you wanted to," the healer noted.

"Well, I need to put on a good show for them today," she groused.

"You can't tell me much about what's going on, can you?"

"Nope." The Destroyer rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then gave Mendi a friendly pat. "I'm gonna leave Mendi here with you. He'll keep an eye on things around here, just in case." _I don't like the idea that the Amazons would kill him for an accidental breach of protocol. All these rules and rituals are confusing. I'd like to look after him myself, but of course I can't. Mendi is the next best thing. It'll keep him from being underfoot, too._

Sedgik seemed hesitant. "I hate to ask this, but this is an infirmary after all…is he clean?"

"Cleaner than me. I mean, he licks himself all day. Of course he's clean."

The healer shrugged, realizing that the cat was going to stay regardless. "I can't object to the company. Are you going?"

"Yup. Here goes nothin'."

As the Destroyer made her exit, Sedgik began his rounds, cat in tow. Nearing the end of his task, he poked his head into Eponin's room. "How are you this – oh." The healer sighed and shook his head. The pallet was empty, the warrior's belongings gone. "Why am I not surprised? She wasn't ready yet. I hope she'll take it easy."

"Will you back up? Damn! I can practically feel your breath on my ear."

"S-sorry, Champion," a timid young Amazon apologized as she stumbled backwards from the washtub where an irate Destroyer was immersed in steaming water up to her shoulders.

"She's not the Champion yet," a snide voice corrected from the corner of the thatched-wall hut. The Destroyer and a contingent of junior-ranking Amazons had set themselves up in a private room within the sweat lodge. The Amazons were assigned the duties of preparing their guest for the ceremony that evening, but it was proving harder than they had anticipated. Their charge was irritable and short with them, and it wore thin on the patience of one Amazon in particular. "She's still just Tira Darkheart as far as I'm concerned," Artemisia growled.

"But she'll be our Champion this evening once the Queen Regent announces her, so what's the difference?" another Amazon asked. She leaned against the doorjamb and fingered her wavy brown hair, looking bored. The truth was that she felt nervous around their mysterious guest for reasons she could not quite place, but it was her habit to affect a permanently cocky attitude to hide her apprehension.

"Oh shut up, Amarice. No one cares what you think," Artemisia spat back, causing Amarice to roll her eyes. Although Amarice appeared unconcerned, she resolved to keep her opinion to herself next time. Amarice was one of Artemisia's favorite scapegoats.

"You should all shut up. We don't have much more time, and we need to get through this somehow." Elena coolly nudged the Amazon who had been trying to rinse the Destroyer's hair aside. "Why won't you relax? We're just trying to wash you up."

_Because you're all too close! Because I can't stand a bunch of strangers pawing me! What do ya think is wrong, dumbass? Aargh, take it easy. This is no time to bite anyone's head off. I can handle this._ She sighed and turned back to look at Elena, who'd had the sense not to lean over the Destroyer's shoulder as the other girl had done. "Look. I'm sorry. I'm wild, all right? I'm not used to having people trying to handle me. I didn't mean to snap, but I'm capable of scrubbing myself off, if it's all the same to you."

"Bet if it was that healer trash you wouldn't be such a bitch about it," Artemisia muttered to herself.

"Suit yourself." Without warning Elena scooped the washing supplies out of the younger Amazon's grasp and dumped everything in the center of the tub, splashing the Destroyer in the face. "Yell when you're done. Don't forget the body oils. The paint won't stick like it's supposed to if you're not oiled enough." Elena began to walk nonchalantly towards the door. Amarice, taking the hint, opened it, and the assembled Amazon girls began to file out. Artemisia was particularly amused at the exchange and smirked wickedly at the Destroyer as she left. The Destroyer, spluttering and wiping her face, missed her chance to respond to Artemisia's insult. She cleared her face in time to see Elena look back at her as she shut the door, being the last one out. Unlike Artemisia, Elena's face showed no trace of ill-will as she glanced at their would-be champion.

_She's a strange one. Almost like she knew she was doing me a favor, leaving me alone here, instead of just playing tit-for-tat._ The Destroyer looked down at the grooming paraphernalia that had been unceremoniously dumped in her lap and sighed, trying to figure out which bottles were which. _Or maybe not. What IS all this stuff, anyway?_

The young Amazons were standing outside in a clique, laughing and joking with one another, when the Destroyer finally emerged from the sweat lodge some time later. After considerable effort and trial-and-error, the young woman had managed to come out looking something like an Amazon warrior herself. She had traded her worn skins and furs for an Amazon-style halter that bared her arms and her midriff, as well as a long skirt of hide strips interwoven with colorful feathers. Her hair, considerably tamed by cleaning and brushing, spilled abundantly over her shoulders in natural waves. Her skin glistened with the oils she had liberally applied to herself after her bath. It had the side effect of showing even more clearly the definition in her muscles. As before, she remained barefoot.

"Would you look at that," Amarice whistled approvingly, nudging Lyri, the girl who had unsuccessfully tried to bathe the Destroyer earlier, as others behind them muttered their surprise.

"Tira Darkheart!" Lyri gasped. "Now you look like one of us."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Artemisia opined.

"Your skirt's on backwards," Elena remarked dryly.

"Aw, dammit," the Destroyer cursed, quickly turning her skirt around as the Amazon clique giggled. "All right, so what comes next?"

"It's time for you to go to the elders," Lyri explained, pointing to a secluded structure nestled behind the Queen Regent's headquarters. "They'll make the final preparations before the ceremony. You should hurry. It'll be dark soon."

"What, no escort?" the Destroyer quipped. She felt awkward in the presence of the group of young women. They stood in a clump several feet from her, leaving her conspicuously alone.

"You think you're better than us, think you can parade around like royalty?" Artemisia snarled back, taking a step towards the brown-haired woman.

"I was just kidding, Red, shit."

"Red?" Amarice teased questioningly. Artemisia kicked her hard in the back of the knee causing her to tumble into the dirt. Turning on her heel she stormed off, not even looking back at Amarice or the others, and disappeared among the Amazon lodges.

"This is no laughing matter, Tira Darkheart," Elena chided flatly. "You're being given a formal introduction by the Queen Regent. It's about time we all know who you are and why you're really here."

"Fair enough. You're right. Enjoy the party, girls," the Destroyer said dismissively as she sauntered off towards the elder's den. Garbed as she was, she was barely distinguishable from the Amazons she was leaving, except for the way she carried herself.

Elena shut the door of Solari's hut carefully behind her as she confronted the raging tempest inside. She leaned against the weathered wooden slats and folded her arms as Artemisia threw a tantrum in front of her, overturning tables and tossing weapons and pottery to the floor. The red-haired young woman barely acknowledged her visitor as she continued to wreck her mother's home. At last Elena strode forward and grabbed Artemisia's wrist before she smashed a bowl. "Stop it."

"Let go of me!"

"No, stop."

"You can't tell me what to do you –" Artemisia's protest was silenced by Elena's lips forcefully meeting hers. The aggression that the redhead had been directing at inanimate objects now came down upon her partner. She struck Elena in the arms and back, hard, but the shorter woman did not release her grasp and eventually pushed Artemisia onto her back on her mother's bed. Artemisia stopped attacking Elena, instead pulling her down on top of her roughly and kissing her as fiercely as she had been kissed. The pair tussled briefly, passionately, until their desire and ardor were satisfied.

Afterward, Elena looked down into Artemisia's face, propping herself up on her elbow. "How did you know I would be here?" the younger Amazon asked breathlessly, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead, as she stared upward at her lover.

"Why did you go to your mother's house? I thought you weren't talking to her."

"I'm not. I knew she wouldn't be here. She's too busy with the ceremony."

"You should be, too, and now you have to clean this up. We don't have much time. Why did you do this? Why are you so angry?"

"It's that girl, Tira Darkheart," Artemisia replied with a frown. "I hate her. She shouldn't be here. She's not one of us. What business does she have being our champion? Why do we need one, anyhow?"

Elena sighed. "You idiot. Don't you ever listen to anything?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's obvious that Velasca's returned, and that Artemis sent us a champion to help us fight her."

Artemisia's flushed face began to pale. "Shit. You mean Iphianassa really was that powerful? I knew we should have killed her instead of banishing her."

"I can't believe you didn't know. What else could explain Aunt Eponin's injuries? You are so dense sometimes."

"I keep you around to do the thinking for me." Artemisia smiled and kissed Elena's cheek, but the older Amazon did not return her mirth.

"That won't work forever, you know. You need to learn to make your own decisions." Elena sighed wearily. "Preferably better ones than trashing your mother's house."

"So help me out, oh wise one," Artemisia requested with obvious sarcasm. "What are you thinking right now? You've got this business with the wild bitch all figured out it seems. Let me in on your cleverness."

"No, I don't have it figured out at all. What I can't understand is, why her?"

"You mean because she's an outsider, because it should have been one of us chosen?"

"Come off it. You make it sound like you would have been picked to be Artemis's champion if she hadn't shown up and you're not even a full warrior yet. What I don't see is how we're any better off with her as our Champion. Velasca's still a goddess, still immortal. Even Queen Gabrielle and Xena couldn't kill her. What's Tira Darkheart going to do?"

Artemisia furrowed her brow thoughtfully. "Mom knows. I've been watching her lately. She and Ephiny know something and they're keeping it from the rest of us."

"How unusually perceptive of you. I wonder if they'll see fit to share tonight."

As darkness fell, myriad painted Amazons in masks danced around a huge central bonfire, singing and beating the drums as per their tradition. All of the songs and stories being recounted in the central area, often accompanied by dramatic choreography, were about the great Queens of the past and how they had led the tribes through difficult times with their bravery and decisiveness. Behind the door of the Council's hut, Ephiny heard the familiar refrains and steeled herself. She prayed that she would see her sisters through this crisis as well. Although she was flanked by her faithful right hand, Solari, the group of Amazon elders at her rear were none too pleased with the announcement she was about to make, and they had not been shy about telling her so in the ceremonial preparation meeting. She blocked them from her mind. Instead, she turned to the young woman standing to her other side, doing her best to adjust her unfamiliar Amazon garb. "Tira Darkheart, are you ready? Remember, you don't have to say or do anything. Just follow my lead and stand tall. Show your pride and confidence, and they'll develop confidence in you too."

"And if they don't?" the Destroyer asked. She was already anticipating trouble. A thin sheen of sweat coated her oil- and paint-slicked skin. "What if something goes wrong?"

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it," Solari cut in gruffly. "Now come on. Everyone's waiting to find out the truth, and it's long overdue."

On the dais that had been set up between the bonfire and the Council's hut, a sturdy, dark-skinned Amazon ascended the steps and motioned for the dancers to stop. As the warrior most recently initiated into mature member status, Chilapa was designated the escort for the Queen and her entourage. Once the crowd was quieted and the dancers had taken their place next to the rest of their sisters, Ephiny climbed onto the stage, followed by the Destroyer, Solari, and the sour-looking elders who took up positions behind the focal group. Solari, too, melted back into the darkness at the edge of the dais, leaving Ephiny and the would-be Champion alone in the center. Chilapa signaled for silence, then made herself scarce as well, opposite Solari at the margins. Ephiny took a deep breath and called out to her tribe.

"Sister Amazons! As you know, these have been difficult times of late. I regret to inform you that our worst fears have been realized. We have learned that Velasca, the usurper who attained godhood but was sealed away by Queen Gabrielle, has been freed by the traitor Iphianassa who was recently banished."

Gasps and murmurs went up from the crowd, but many of the more astute sisters nodded knowingly. Rumors had been spreading like wildfire ever since the strange events of the past week, and Iphianassa had often bragged of her powers in public.

Without waiting for the din to subside, Ephiny continued. The last thing she wanted was to drag this out. "Because of my concern for your safety and the endurance of our Nation, I appealed to Artemis herself for aid. Although many of you have suggested of late that she no longer hears our prayers and supplications, she came to me in a dream and told me that she would be sending us a Champion. This Champion is here next to me tonight. I formally present to you Tira Darkheart, summoned by the Goddess herself, our guest and ally who has come to our aid of her own free will."

Ephiny subtly nudged the Destroyer with her boot. The young woman came forward hesitantly, but she kept her head up. Her eyes drifted over the seemingly endless sea of faces that gazed back at her curiously. _Well, this won't last. Go on, Ephiny. Tell them what I am and let's get it over with._

The Queen Regent continued. "I am sure many of you are asking yourselves why a young woman such as this, who seems much like any of our own initiates, is our Champion. You may not like the answer. I will be frank with you. Tira Darkheart is our only hope, because only she can kill Velasca once and for all. She, and she alone, can accomplish this feat because Tira Darkheart is the Destroyer, born of the Daughter of Dahak and bred to slay immortals."


	13. Here Comes Trouble

After the briefest moment of stunned silence, a roar of surprise and anger rolled through the crowd. Suddenly the entire tribe came alive, all at once, seemingly united in its condemnation of their unlikely savior.

"Quiet!" Solari thundered, slamming her staff on the dais with considerable force. "Our Queen is speaking! You will listen!" Chilapa, too, though clearly unnerved by what she had just heard, forced herself to look away from the Destroyer and took a step forward in support of her Queen Regent, glowering down at the mob.

"Treason!" a young voice cried out from the back. It was Lyri, tears streaming down her face. "Treason to our true queen, Gabrielle! How could Artemis have sent us a Champion born of the evil that caused our Queen so much pain?"

"Shut up, you idiot! Solari will bust your head open for that, or worse," Amarice hissed, smacking her hand over Lyri's mouth. Ephiny was clearly staring at them, even over the crowd, and nervous sisters moved away from the pair as if they were diseased. "My Queen Regent, I apologize on behalf of my stupid friend," Amarice called back. Her flippancy came out in force as she sought to draw the trouble upon herself rather than the admittedly fragile Lyri. "She's a little emotional since you did just tell us our supposed Champion is demon spawn. Don't punish her. Punish me instead."

"I will punish neither of you, provided you hold your tongues," Ephiny answered firmly. "That is a fair question, if phrased undiplomatically. You all know of my devotion to Queen Gabrielle, as well as our ally Xena, both of whom were devastated by Dahak's evil. When I learned of the Champion's identity I felt the same way as you do now. However, you should all know that Tira Darkheart has met both Queen Gabrielle and Xena, before she came to us, and she was accepted by them. If Gabrielle believes there is good in the Destroyer, then none of you have any business taking offense on her behalf. You all ought to be grateful, both that there is someone capable of killing Velasca and that Artemis asked her to help us. If you remember nothing else tonight, remember that Tira Darkheart CHOSE to come among us, even knowing how you would probably react to her, how many of you have been treating her already before you had any idea who she was. I am disappointed in you, my sisters! Those who have the most right to be angry with this young woman find no fault with her. Who are you to condemn her?"

The crowd still rumbled, albeit more quietly. The air pulsed with discontent. The Destroyer saw the same looks of horror and disdain she had grown so used to over the years painted all over the faces of those she was supposed to be helping. She felt her own anger rise in her chest. Nearly going off on her own initiative, she forced herself to turn to Ephiny. Unsure of how to proceed, she lowered her head slightly. "With your permission, I'd like to speak."

"If you must. They may not be willing to hear you, but it's your right."

The Destroyer straightened up and stepped to the front edge of the stage, so that the bonfire threw her into sharp relief. "Amazons!" she called out, her voice even but forceful. "The fact of it is –"

"Challenge!" Heads turned as a shrill voice from somewhere in the center of the throng pierced the night. "I challenge you, Destroyer, you who plays at being our Champion." As several sisters stepped aside, the blazing red hair of the speaker flashed into view. "I will prove once and for all that you have no place among us!"

Even the Queen Regent was stunned by this turn of events, but all did not remain still for long. "Artemisia!" Solari snapped, her gaze fixing coldly on her only daughter. "Are you insane? I forbid you from doing this!"

"It's too late, mother!" Artemisia laughed recklessly. "We all know the law. The challenge has been made. It must be answered, and not by you. There's nothing you can do. What'll it be, 'Champion'?" Artemsia's tone was derisive and mocking.

The Destroyer looked to Ephiny, confused. "Now what?"

The Queen Regent didn't miss a beat. "Now you tell her no. You're not an Amazon sister, so you are entitled to refuse the challenge without prejudice."

A sardonic half-smile played at the Destroyer's lips, and her eyes were dark as she regarded her rival from her perch. "Without prejudice, eh? I think we're past that point, Queen Regent." Before Ephiny or Solari could stop her, she called back, "All right, Artemisia! You've been riding me ever since I got here, before you knew anything about me, and I'm sick of it! I'll take you on any time, anywhere."

Stirred by the drama, the crowd began to egg Artemisia and the Destroyer on. Ephiny, clearly not amused, grabbed the Destroyer's arm. "This is ridiculous. Turn her down, Tira Darkheart! We don't have time for these kinds of distractions, and if you were to be hurt in the combat, where would that leave us?"

"I accept it, Queen Regent, on my honor, which I will show you and your tribe that I live by even if it kills me." The Destroyer turned back to Artemisia. "You hear me, Red? On my honor! Do you even know what that is? You're lucky. I'll fight you barefisted so that just maybe you'll survive."

"You stupid fool!" Artemisia shouted back. "Who are you to set terms?"

This nonplussed the Destroyer. "What do you mean? You challenged me!"

Solari shook her head slowly in response. "She's more clever than you give her credit for, Tira Darkheart. Because you're not an Amazon, you're not obligated to accept her challenge, but you also have no standing to dictate the terms. She picks the time, the place, and the manner of battle. Your only choice is whether to say yes or no. And your answer ought to be no!" Solari punctuated her statement by glowering at the Destroyer.

"Listen up, pretender," Artemisia called. "It's going down like this. Tomorrow night. Here. It'll be Amazon wrestling. This is your last chance to back down. You're no Champion in our tribe. Now go crawl back to wherever you came from, or stand up and take your punishment from a real sister!"

"You're dreaming, Red!" the Destroyer growled in reply. "I don't care what the contest is. My answer's the same, and I'm gonna enjoy the chance to settle with you once and for all."

Artemisia threw back her head and let out a victorious cry. Several sisters joined her until the entire crowd was alive with riotous cheers in support of the challenge. Though the majority were clearly behind Artemisia, a few sisters began to whisper among themselves that it was indeed brave for the Champion to accept a challenge so clearly slanted against her.

Both Ephiny and Solari stared furiously at the two teens, unsure of who they wanted to strangle more. "This was unbelievably irresponsible of you!" Solari hissed in the Destroyer's ear, but the young woman only smiled. For the first time all evening, she was dealing in terms she could understand, and that it appeared the Amazons understood too. "You never should have…" Solari was too angry to finish her sentence coherently.

Ephiny quickly regained her composure, remembering her responsibility to conduct the ceremony. "The junior warrior Artemisia has challenged the Champion to Amazon wrestling here in the commons, tomorrow night, and the Champion has accepted. Who will second Artemisia and be her handler?"

"I will, with your permission, Queen Regent" a wiry Amazon with short dark hair answered quickly, appearing at the front of the crowd as if from nowhere.

Ephiny nodded. "It is agreed. Elena will be Artemisia's handler. Who will second the Champion and be her handler?"

The crowd fell silent. Ephiny had feared this might happen. No one wanted to volunteer to back the Destroyer. She could not, being the Queen Regent, and Solari could not, as her office forbade her from showing any favoritism in a challenge unless it was royal. Ephiny feared she would have to appoint an unwilling second, which would handicap the already inexperienced young woman even further. Her eyes went to Chilapa. "Chilapa, would you be willing to handle the Champion?"

"I will do whatever my Queen asks of me," Chilapa responded stoically, although disgust was evident in her eyes as she regarded the Destroyer.

"Thank you," Ephiny sighed. "The Champion's second will be…"

"Stop! Queen Regent, please hold your decision," a hoarse voice called out just as there was a loud thwack! on the stage, causing everyone to turn towards it. Still leaning heavily on her staff, Eponin had pushed her way through to the front and looked up at her friends. "With your permission, I will second the Champion."

Ephiny smiled. It was far preferable to have Eponin do willingly what Chilapa had only agreed to out of deference to Ephiny's authority. Although the Weapons Master was held in high esteem, it was not a political office, meaning that Eponin was free to assist the Destroyer. "The Champion will be handled by Eponin. The challenge is set for tomorrow night. The time will be–"

Ephiny's speech was cut off by loud screaming from the rear of the crowd. It was Lyri again. This time, however, the Amazons rapidly parted as if sliced in half. A terrifying figure was stumbling through their midst. Lurching in fits and starts, the shadowy woman approached the stage. Even the Queen Regent's eyes widened in horror as she saw what was before her. It was the head of the neighboring village who had visited Ephiny's war council the night that Eponin had made her report before passing out. The woman was covered in blood and brutally wounded. One of her arms hung by a thread from her shoulder, and her left knee bent backwards like a bird's as she walked. She shuffled forward relentlessly, if slowly, until she stood looking up at the Queen Regent, her gray eyes dull and glassy. No one dared get near her.

"I come bearing a message for the Queen Regent and her pet demon bitch," the injured Amazon muttered emotionlessly. "The true Queen, Mistress Velasca, fears no one. She counsels all conscientious Amazon sisters to pick the correct side in the coming conflict. When the moon appears full in the sky again, the goddess will return to reclaim her throne, and all who stand in her way will be destroyed, starting with the Destroyer. Choose the wrong side, and you'll meet the same fate as your neighbors." Despite the fact that she barely spoke above a whisper, every Amazon at the ceremony heard her as clearly as if she had been standing next to them. As soon as her message was delivered, the woman fell in a lifeless heap on the ground.

"She's dead!" Artemisia gasped in horror, having pushed her way to the spot where the village head had made her posthumous declaration.

"She was dead from the time she came here," Chilapa stammered, making a sign of supplication to Artemis. "This is the darkest of sorcery. Iphianassa is an abomination." Chilapa snapped her head up to face the Destroyer, who was staring at the bloodied corpse along with everyone else. "Do you swear to me, Dahak's Destroyer, that you will rid us of this evil once and for all?"

The Destroyer sighed somewhat impatiently, but she looked Chilapa in the eyes steadily as she made her promise. "That's what I came here for. I will not allow your enemies to get away with this. I give you my word. Then again, I don't know how much trust you put in the word of someone like me."

"Enough to count, Champion," Chilapa said with a faint smile.

"Sisters!" Ephiny called out to the Amazons, frozen like statues in fear and horror at what they had just witnessed. "You heard Velasca's message. Iphianassa has murdered our sisters and dares to use one who should be at peace as a courier. It is more important than ever that we stand together in preparation for the coming fight. The moon is full in the sky tonight. That gives us exactly one month to prepare for battle, although we cannot trust Velasca. We must be on our guard from now on, to avoid any more of us falling victim. The tribal leaders will give you more specific instructions, handed down by me, on what to do, but not now. There has been enough heartache tonight. Tomorrow night, we will honor our sister and restore what has been so terribly violated. The challenge between Artemisia and the Champion will serve as the funeral games." Ephiny glared down at Artemisia. "You had best be prepared to give due respect," she admonished her. She also looked to the Destroyer, to make sure she got the message as well.

"I always strive to act for the glory of our nation, Queen Regent. Tomorrow night will be no exception," Artemisia replied courteously, but her eyes were on her mother.

"I'll do what has to be done." The Destroyer's gaze was fixed on the dead Amazon, as if Artemisia no longer existed.

"Everyone go to bed, and take comfort in your sisters' company. This is a night of mourning, by declaration of the Queen Regent and my council."


	14. Weaknesses Exposed

Morning broke, dull and gray, over the Amazon village. Ephiny was slumped over her worktable, papers and maps scattered in front of her, when Solari came in. At first the Chief Strategist thought her friend was asleep, but as she gingerly approached Ephiny raised her head, regarding Solari with tired, bloodshot eyes.

"You didn't sleep, did you?" she asked the Queen Regent.

"Give me the report," was the curt reply.

"I checked it out myself. As we discussed, I kept my trip to the neighboring village a secret." Solari took a deep breath. "It's the worst-case scenario, just as you feared."

"They're all dead, then." Ephiny's voice was emotionless.

Solari slowly shook her head. "Half are dead. The rest…" She couldn't bring herself to say the words. She could not bear to break her queen's heart.

"…joined Velasca." Ephiny rubbed her face with her hands. When she didn't remove them immediately, Solari saw that her friend was shaking. The First Officer had only ever seen her friend cry at Terreis's funeral, and at Xena's son Solan's. Tears came rarely to the stoic Amazon, but Solari knew they came now. No longer a subordinate, but as a friend, Solari came over and embraced Ephiny's shoulders. "I've let Gabrielle down," Ephiny whispered through her fingers. "She trusted me to keep us all together."

"Stop it!" Solari hissed. "They made their choice. There was nothing you could have done differently. What happens now is on their heads." Solari snapped her head up and released Ephiny without warning. Her eyes were on the door. Ephiny composed herself instantly. She hadn't heard anything, but she knew Solari had. In a flash the warrior ran to the door and threw it open. She saw no one in the hallway, but she could have sworn she saw the flash of a bushy tail before it disappeared out the front door. Befuddled, she shut the door. Ephiny looked at her questioningly. "It's all right. I think I just saw the Destroyer's cat in here. He must've been after a rat."

The God of War reclined easily in his throne in the Halls of War, a self-satisfied smirk on his handsome face. A shining arrow protruded from the center of his chest. He spread his arms plaintively. "Really, sis? Was this necessary? You know you can't hurt me here. This is my turf."

Artemis stood on the long carpet leading up to Ares's throne, her bow still aimed at him. She shook with fury. "How dare you!" she screamed at him.

The smile vanished from Ares's face. He pulled out her arrow easily and tossed it behind him. "How dare I? Your righteous indignation is falling a bit flat here. I'm the one who found the Destroyer, and you're interfering in my plans just as much as I am in yours."

"You started a civil war in the tribes!" Artemis cried out, nocking another arrow. Ares waved his hand, and the arrow vanished in a puff of smoke.

"I already warned you that you have no power here. You're testing my patience, Artemis. If all you came here to do was bitch about your Amazons, you might as well get out. If you have something more interesting to tell me, you'd better hurry up and say it."

"You hurt your own cause as much as you hurt mine. By telling Velasca about Tira Darkheart, you've made it much harder for her to make the kill. There's going to be a full-scale battle, and Velasca will be ready for her."

Ares laughed out loud. "How could the God of War ever object to a full-scale battle? Your Amazons have been too peaceful since they've been led by the likes of Gabrielle and Ephiny. It's about time they gave me some amusement. Besides, you misunderstand my intentions regarding the Destroyer. I don't want everything handed to her. In fact, I want her to struggle. I want her to suffer." Ares leaned forward in his chair earnestly. "I want that beautiful darkness to blossom inside of her, and if that takes pushing her to the limit, so be it."

The Goddess of the Hunt shook her head in disgust. "You toy with her."

"And you don't? Don't pretend you care for the girl any more than I do. At least I want her to fulfill her purpose. You'd have her be tame, wouldn't you? Is that your plan? Make her some kind of hero for your people? How pathetic."

Artemis narrowed her eyes. "Every Amazon that dies in this conflict is on your head, Ares. I'll see that you pay for it. If Tira Darkheart does give herself over to bloodlust, if she follows your path, I'll kill her myself, then tell the other Olympians what you've done."

"What we've done, sis!" Ares called flippantly as Artemis made her exit.

The morning sun trickled through the window, hampered as it was by the overcast sky, but enough of it fell across Sedgik's face to stir him. Unable to go back to his own hut, Sedgik had fallen asleep on the cot formerly occupied by Eponin, since it was in a private room. Still groggy, he sat up and began to look for his shirt. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the Destroyer suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Tira Darkheart!" he yelped. "I didn't hear you. What are you doing here so early? Shouldn't you still be asleep? I know you must have had a late night."

"I'm here to warn you," she said gravely, her face showing nothing. "They're rolling right into another ceremony today. Don't come out. Besides, it's likely you'll be needed in here, soon enough."

Sedgik didn't like the way that sounded. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Some crazy shit went down last night. Velasca attacked the next Amazon village over, killed a bunch of them, and then Iphianassa sent a walking dead woman here to tell us about it. Tonight they're going to hold a funeral and burn all of their sisters that were killed."

"Oh, gods," Sedgik gasped. "That's awful!"

"Yeah, well, that ain't all. They're also not thrilled that I'm their champion. One of them challenged me to a duel, so we're going to go at it tonight. We're the funeral's ceremonial contest, more or less."

"What? Someone challenged you?" Sedgik frowned. "Why? What's wrong with you being the champion?"

The Destroyer set her jaw. _I never really did explain to him what I am. He only knows I'm not quite human. I can't tell him. I can't deal with him spitting in my face too, not right now. Damn it._ "They don't accept me. Look, this one bitch has been on me since I got here. It was only a matter of time before she and I had to settle this. But don't worry." She grinned with proud confidence. "I'll beat her down and prove to all of them that I belong here. Then they'll have to shut their mouths."

Sedgik gave her a hard look. "Do you mean to tell me you agreed to fight someone just to show off?"

The Destroyer raised her eyebrows, shocked at his reaction. "I was challenged! What was I supposed to do, say no?"

"Of course! Look, Tira Darkheart, I know you said you fight, but it's not right to put yourself in danger just to prove something. It's stupid! You have a job to do here, right? Isn't this just a distraction?

Her lip curled slightly, revealing a deadly canine tooth. _He's got it all wrong! Why can't he understand how important this is?_ "No. This is something I have to do. If I take down Artemisia on her terms, playing her game, they'll have no excuse to disrespect me. If I were to back out, I'd be a coward."

The young healer threw up his hands. "I can't believe this. I thought you were different, Tira Darkheart, but you sound just like them now! Settling your problems by seeing who can bash a skull in first. Do you know how sick I get of fixing up Amazons who come in here all dinged up from their meaningless fights with each other? And now here you are, every bit as obsessed with who can piss higher than the other."

"Huh?"

Sedgik reddened when he realized that he'd used a wholly inappropriate metaphor, considering all the parties involved were women. "Nevermind. I guess I'm a little disappointed with you. That's all."

The wild woman's hands balled into fists. "Go to rot, then. I don't care whatcha think. What d'ya know about being strong, anyhow? While people like you sit around patching up the wounded and cryin' about it, I'm tryin' to put a stop to the whole mess, but you don't get that, do you?"

"You can't stop violence with more violence!" Sedgik thundered, throwing his feet onto the floor and marching up to the Destroyer.

"You can't get what you want by begging people to play nice!" the Destroyer shot back, standing on her toes to counter Sedgik's height advantage as she got in his face.

"Adults learn to handle not getting what they want all the time."

"Yeah, well, I don't accept that!" she snarled, and before she really knew what she was doing she had grabbed the back of Sedgik's head and forced his lips down onto hers, biting his lower lip hard enough that she nearly drew blood. Coming to her senses, she released him and stumbled backwards. He only stared down at her in shock. Slowly, he raised his fingers to his mouth, but he remained silent.

Embarrassed, she dropped her gaze to the ground. "I gotta go do stuff. I'll come back here after I kick Artemisia's ass. Don't leave here before then. It's not safe."

Leaving the private room as fast as she could, the Destroyer motioned to Mendi, who was waiting for her at the far wall. They left the infirmary together, the cat looking up at his perturbed companion questioningly. "You all right?"

"I'm fine, bro," she reassured him quietly, careful about obvious discussions with him out in the open. "Gonna be another busy day. We need to find…"

As she approached her own hut, she saw Eponin just about to knock on the door. "Her," she finished, making eye contact with the hobbled Amazon.

"Tira Darkheart," the warrior called back, her voice even and unreadable. "Come with me. We've got a lot of work to do."

In the young women's lodge, the crisp morning air blew through some cracks in the wall, creating a draft. Artemisia shuddered and forced herself to open her eyes. She had taken Ephiny's admonition to find comfort in her sisters more literally than most that night, and she rolled her eyes upon finding that Amarice and another girl, Cora, had passed out on top of her. After the ceremony, she had looked for Elena first, but it was as if her lover had disappeared without a trace. Undeterred, she'd had her fun with Amarice and Cora, but this morning Elena was on her mind.

"Hey, you two," she murmured irritably, poking and shoving at her bedmates. "Get up. Get off me. I have shit to do."

Amarice sat up enough that Artemisia could escape from her bed, but Cora was dead to the world, so Artemisia rolled her into Amarice's arms where she had been a moment before. _They've always been close, since they're refugees from other tribes. They belong together. We all need to take care of each other right now._ The door to the young women's lodge opened, but none of the other sleeping Amazons stirred, most still exhausted from the horrors of the previous night. Artemisia stood up hopefully, eager to greet Elena at last, but to her chagrin the visitor was one of the last people she wanted to deal with at the moment.

"You should have slept last night, instead of messing around. You can't afford to be tired today. Not after the mess you've made for yourself."

Artemisia used the excuse of looking for her clothes to avoid meeting her mother's eyes. "I don't want to talk about it. I was going to find Elena to start getting ready."

"My house," Solari replied, a command rather than an invitation.

"Mother, please, I just want to find her," Artemisia whined, still avoiding the imposing gaze.

"Like I said," Solari repeated more quietly, "my house." Surprised at what she understood her mother to be telling her, Artemisia followed Solari to her hut where, indeed, Elena was waiting for her.

"I looked for you last night…" Artemisia began, jogging over to where her companion sat on a low bench, but held her tongue when she was barely acknowledged. Solari came in behind her and shut the door. "What's going on?" Artemisia asked, feeling somewhat trapped.

"You need to begin preparing for the challenge, don't you? Your handler's right here. Start getting ready."

"But this isn't the place for – " Artemisia noticed that all of the materials for getting a wrestler ready were already laid out around her mother's home. She realized that some discussion had taken place behind her back, and that she was being set up for another, but there was nothing she could do about it now. "Elena?" she asked somewhat helplessly. Her partner looked blankly at her, revealing nothing. Artemisia hated when Elena did this. She was certain she was in trouble now, and that Elena's disappearance the night before had been purposeful. Defeated, she did the only thing she could do, which was, as her mother said, get ready. She sat down between Elena's knees as the older Amazon silently assumed her handler role, working the sleep out of Artemisia's muscles. Solari stepped in front of her daughter and stared down at her authoritatively.

"I am giving you one last chance to stop this nonsense," Solari began, barely containing the fury in her voice. "You have no idea how irresponsible this is. If you call off the challenge now, I will take it upon myself. I'll say that I intervened. The dishonor will be on my head, not yours."

Artemisia's eyes widened in horror at the thought. Solari was universally respected, if not always liked, in the Amazon Nation. Such a shameful act would ruin her reputation for years, if not permanently. "Mother, no!" she whispered fiercely. Her voice rose in indignation. "Is this to protect your precious Champion? If she's so great that she's supposed to lead us into battle against Velasca, what has she got to fear from a junior warrior like me? Make HER back out. She's not even a real person anyhow, just some kind of creature, right? What does it matter if she's disgraced? Tell her to protect her own sorry hide. I won't indulge her."

Solari sighed deeply. "I am going to explain something to you, once and only once, and you will listen to me carefully. The day the Destroyer came to us, there was a misunderstanding in the meeting with Ephiny, and I attacked her. The Destroyer threw me down on my back and struck her weapon down a hand's breadth from my neck." Solari narrowed her eyes at her daughter, willing her to comprehend.

Artemisia's face became as red as her hair. Elena felt the muscles of her back go rock hard under her fingers. "She – she threatened you?" The young woman's breathing became faster and faster, her fists tightening. "I'll kill her. I'll rip her apart for even touching you!" Artemisia snarled.

"You misunderstand me," Solari countered, her voice cold as ice. "You. Misundersand. Me." She struggled to keep control of herself.

Artemisia took a deep breath, composing herself, and looked straight into Solari's eyes. Her voice was strangely calm as she answered. "One way or another, Mother, the Destroyer will lose tonight. I will show everyone what she is. I will prove that she's unworthy to be anyone's champion." She smiled serenely, but there was a hint of mania in her gaze. "You'll see."

In that moment, Solari understood exactly what it was her daughter had planned. She felt sick, and she knew for certain there was no scaring her off. Without another word, she left her hut, slamming the door behind her.

Neither Elena nor Artemisia spoke for a time, as Elena continued to work over her shoulders in a decidedly businesslike manner. Artemisia finally broke the silence, asking, "So you feel the same as my mother does?"

"You're a fool," Elena whispered.

"Am I?" Artemisia's half-crazed grin was still plastered to her face. She replayed a particular memory from the previous day over again in her head.

_Look. I'm sorry. I'm wild, all right? I'm not used to having people trying to handle me._

"Still think I never pay attention? Never listen?"

"Don't. Start." Elena could have wilted flowers with her voice. "Don't try to brag to me about how clever you are. I already know what you're doing. I knew as soon as you challenged her."

Artemisia was taken aback by this. "Did Mother figure it out too?"

"No. But it doesn't matter. You're still a fool."

"You can't possibly be worried about me losing…?" The redhead's confusion was apparent.

Elena shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath to steady herself. When she opened them again, she was calm. "You're taller than she is. You have a reach advantage and a leverage advantage. But she's much stronger, so you have to be quick. Go for a joint lock early. Preferably her legs. As soon as you get her on the ground, don't ever let her up. I've only ever showed you about half of my tricks. I can tell you about a few more, in the time that we have."

"This is why I'm glad you're my second," Artemisia purred, taking Elena's hands in hers and feeling excessively pleased with herself.


	15. Dancing in the Dark

_Author's note: Here it is folks, the moment you've all been waiting for. It's about time these two finally got their shot at each other. In honor of their battle royale here's a longer-than-average chapter to tide ya'll over for the weekend._

The Destroyer and Mendi followed Eponin to a shabby-looking hut on the edge of the village common in silence. It had no windows and a heavier door than most of its neighbors. Eponin opened the door and motioned the Destroyer inside, raising a curious eyebrow as Mendi followed close at her heels, but made no move to keep him outside. She locked them in as soon as the door was closed.

Inside the dim room was lit only with candles. "This place is a fire hazard," the Destroyer mused. Seeing that all of the walls were lined with weapons of all types she amended her statement. "I take it back. It's just a hazard."

"This is where you will prepare for your challenge, in privacy." Eponin emphasized the last two words. She walked over to the far wall where linens of all types, most rolled into wraps, were stored. "Sit on that bench there."

The Destroyer plopped herself down as instructed, while Mendi curled up in the corner of the hut, watching with interest. The young woman started to ask what was going on when Eponin cut in.

"I have no reason to doubt Ephiny," Eponin said without turning around, "but I want to hear it from you. You are a friend to Queen Gabrielle and to Xena?"

"That's what they said when we parted. They're good humans – I mean people. I learned a lot from being with them. I even told them my real name."

"You mean it's not Tira Darkheart?"

"That's just my title. I don't tell people my name."

Eponin turned back to the Destroyer, and the young woman was surprised to see an amicable smile on the warrior's face. "Maybe someday I'll be privileged enough to learn it, eh?" Her tone was noticeably less clipped than earlier.

"So you're not angry that I'm the one Artemis sent? I mean, I'm a monster."

Eponin came over carrying an armful of linen wraps. "You're capable of killing Velasca, you're built like a champion, you're a stubborn little shit, and you volunteered for the job. What's not to like?"

The Destroyer grinned. "Thanks for volunteering to be my handler, whatever that means. What are we doing in here, anyhow? What's to prepare for?"

Eponin looked the young woman up and down. She had abandoned her Amazon garb for her typical worn skin-and-fur outfit. "You can't fight like that. You'll get grabbed. You want to be slippery. Make no mistake, Artemisia's brash but she's a tough opponent for you. The last thing you want to do is give her any edge."

Eponin's warning was met with an amused chuckle. "She won't get close enough to grab me. I'll knock her ass out before she knows what hit her. I'm tempted to play around with her some, but I don't wanna draw this out too much."

This caused Eponin to peer at the Destroyer intently. "You know you're to wrestle her, right?"

It was the Destroyer's turn to be confused. "What, you mean I can't hit her?"

"No, not directly anyhow." Eponin sighed and shook her head. "You don't know the rules at all, do you? We'll go over them a few times."

"Once is fine. I can remember them."

"Don't be silly. We have plenty of time and we're going to go over them more than once. You've got to follow the rules, Tira Darkheart, or you'll lose by foul."

"Lose by foul? I can lose even if I win?"

"If you win wrong, then yes. That's how it works here."

The Destroyer's eyebrows went up. "Damn." She mulled it over for a moment, then shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'll win however I have to."

"That's the spirit. Here, take off your tunic. I'll wrap you up."

The young woman shifted uncomfortably as she removed her shirt. "Can't I do it?"

"No, it won't be right. You're a well-endowed girl, Tira Darkheart. It would be much too hard for you to get a tight wrap, and you don't want to be popping out of it."

"All right. Can you do it fast, though?"

"Why? What's the problem?"

"Well…" The Destroyer frowned at Eponin. "I'm not real fond of being touched, that's all. Makes me feel sorta strange, almost edgy. Guess it's 'cause of my past."

Eponin went pale in the candlelight. She started to speak, then stopped, and finally sighed, shaking her head. When she took her position behind the Destroyer she asked, "Does Artemisia know that?"

"Shit, how should I know if she –" The Destroyer paused, remembering how she had been short with the Amazons bathing her yesterday. "Yeah, guess she does."

Eponin grumbled. "You've been had, youngun. No wonder Artemisia challenged you to wrestling. I thought she was just counting on her own skill, but there was more to it. You listen to me, Tira Darkheart. She's looking to torture you, no question about it."

The Destroyer said nothing as she lifted her arms and Eponin began wrapping up her bust. She became lost in her own thoughts, which helped distract her from being handled. When Eponin had tied it off she spoke at last. "It doesn't matter. None of it matters. I have to win. That's all there is to it. I have to do this in order to take my place as your Champion for real, not just 'cause Artemis said so. More importantly, my pride's at stake now."

Eponin snorted in reply. "Of course you'd be most concerned with that. You've got a lot of pluck, kiddo. There's no reason you can't win, but you need to keep your wits about you and remember how all this works. Now listen up…"

By the light of the torches that passed near her, the features of the Destroyer's face were thrown into sharp relief. Her expression was impassive. She tried not to think about how uncomfortable the wraps around her chest were and how they restricted her breathing, or how strange it felt for her hair to be in a tight braid, with only her unruly bangs protruding just enough to hide part of her face. She sported a minimalist loincloth, also tightly wrapped, and had looser wraps around her knuckles to protect the flesh. Every exposed part of her had been oiled, to make her harder to grab. She watched Artemisia, similarly clad, from across the bare patch of ground where they were to have their contest. Her gaze was unfocused, however, and her attention turned inward.

_Need to remember everything Eponin told me. No punching, no kicking, none of that. Grappling and holds only, plus throws and slams. Fight starts when Ephiny says so and ends when someone gives up or can't go on. Our seconds or the Queen Regent can stop the fight if they judge that it's over. Since I know for a fact neither of us will give up, I need to put a big hurt on this girl so there's no doubt at all she's done. Can't lose my head, no matter what. At least I've explained everything to Mendi. If things get out of control he has the best chance out of anyone to snap me back to myself._

Behind her the funeral for all the dead Amazons collected from the neighboring village carried on as the pyres for the sisters were lit and the singing commenced. Thanks to Mendi's eavesdropping, she knew about the treason of the ones who had survived. _If I don't win this, and win it right, more Amazons might turn against Ephiny and join up with Velasca. I don't care how many I have to go through to get to the bitch, but a civil war might be the end of the Amazon nation. Can't give them any more reason to reconsider their loyalties. Ephiny and Gabrielle need me to nail this._

Standing at the side of the designated challenge area, which was demarcated only by a series of logs laid along the ground in a circle, were the two seconds. They had wordlessly found their way to each other through the crowd and stood watching their respective fighters as the funeral carried on at their backs.

"Aunt Eponin," Elena mumbled respectfully.

"Niece," Eponin acknowledged. They remained silent for a moment more. "You know, no one had bothered to tell the Champion what exactly she had gotten into. I had to tell her what the rules were, as well as show her a couple moves. Mostly the dirty tricks that I warned her to expect from Artemisia."

Elena's eyes widened and she turned to her aunt. "I'm glad she was informed of the rules, but Aunt Eponin, you're helping her?"

"Of course. I'm her handler. It's my job."

"I know you have a duty to carry out, but it sounds like you actually want her to beat Artemisia." A hint of dismay edged into Elena's otherwise disinterested tone.

"She will beat Artemisia, and take her place as Champion."

"Aunt Eponin, you favor her, a creature of Dahak, over one of the daughters of our tribe? How can you?" Elena spoke quietly, but her hurt was clear.

"Because she's the one who's going to save our sorry asses. I'm surprised at you, niece. I didn't expect that you would let foolish prejudice cloud your judgment."

Elena's face hardened as she was stung by her mentor's words. "The Destroyer can't win. You must know that. Artemisia doesn't just want to beat her. She means to goad her into losing by foul, into showing her true nature." She swallowed hard. "She's willing to stake her life on it. So I showed her all the tricks I know, not just the ones you taught me."

Eponin turned to leave. She looked over her shoulder at Elena. "When Tira Darkheart wins, fairly and decisively, I will help you peel her off of your lover, and then I will embrace her as Champion. I expect you to do the same."

Mendi had arrived at the Destroyer's side, sitting just outside of the logs. Eponin looked at him curiously. "Is he going to stay here?"

"He deserves to be here, and I want him here." She gave the cat an affectionate stroke between the ears. "He's my best friend."

"Of course. As long as he stays put."

"Until he's needed, he will."

Eponin wondered what she meant by that, but didn't ask. "Remember everything we talked about? Are you nervous?"

"Yes I do, and no I'm not."

"Then get out there and show them what you can do, youngster. Oh, and one other thing. Take care of yourself – some girls have been killed doing this!"

On Artemisia's side of the arena, Elena whispered final advice into her ear, as well. Artemisia's impatience was obvious, and she merely nodded at everything Elena was telling her, only half-listening. At last, Ephiny ascended the dais, signaling that the event was about to begin. "One last thing," Elena added as she turned Artemisia's face back towards hers. She took a deep breath before whispering fiercely, "When it's over, let it be over, and get out of there."

Artemisia's eyes sparkled. "You're worried about me?" She smiled broadly. "You're so sweet. But there's no need for that. She's going down hard." Artemisia kissed Elena fiercely before striding confidently into the center of the arena. The Destroyer did likewise until they were toe to toe. Artemisia towered over the Destroyer, her slick, pale flesh glistening in the light of the pyres. Dressed similarly as her opponent, the Amazon showed her lanky yet powerful frame. She stared down menacingly with sharp green eyes. "I've been waiting too long for this." The Destroyer merely smiled, her nearly black eyes flashing. For a moment Artemisia felt unsettled, but she shrugged it off.

Ephiny began speaking, to honor the dead and begin the games. Neither combatant heard what she was saying, or cared. The two young women might as well have been alone in a desert wasteland for all that they were aware of their surroundings. Their muscles twitched in anticipation.

"COMMENCE!"

The crowd roared. Both Artemisia and the Destroyer made their moves as soon as Ephiny had spoken. Artemisia went low, trying to grab a knee, but her opponent was just a moment faster and fell back onto the hard dirt deliberately, curling up and planting her foot in the center of Artemisia's stomach. Using both of their momentum, the Destroyer pitched Artemisia over her head with her leg and scrambled back to her feet. Artemisia landed awkwardly but got up smoothly, unhurt. With distance now between the two they began to circle each other.

Although every Amazon was captivated by the battle, few watched as intently as Solari from her perch on the dais next to the Queen Regent. She did not so much as blink. Ephiny turned to her and whispered so only she could hear, "It's all right to be worried. That's your daughter out there, after all."

"She made her choice, and she as much as admitted her strategy is to provoke Tira Darkheart. She's responsible for what happens here tonight, one way or the other."

Ephiny touched the back of Solari's arm. "It will work out. Each of them is as proud and determined as the other, and at the end of the day that's their best defense." Solari only nodded, trying to ignore the rising lump in her throat.

Artemisia feinted, prompting the Destroyer to take the offensive and throw herself at Artemisia's middle, leading with her shoulder. _Shit, I really have no idea what I'm doing here. I can't just react, though. I have to make something happen, or I'm playing her game. Gotta focus on beatin' her down into the dirt until I find an opening to finish her off._ The Destroyer tackled Artemisia to the ground, making sure she landed with her full body weight on top of her taller opponent. The stocky, muscled wild woman was heavier than she looked. She saw Artemisia wince, but the Amazon managed to keep the breath in her chest. _Have to hand it to her, she can take the abuse._ Before the Destroyer could plan her next move Artemisia's legs shot up and she wrapped them around her foe's waist, hooking one foot in the opposite ankle. Not realizing that a trap was being laid, the Destroyer tried to plant her forearm across Artemisia's throat only to find her wrist firmly in Artemisia's grasp. The Amazon grabbed the Destroyer by her hair braid and pulled her head down so that her lips were next to her ear. "From here I could take your arm off and beat you with it, but I won't. How do you like this, eh? You think this is uncomfortable? You just wait."

The Destroyer tried to pull away, but her midsection was firmly locked up in Artemisia's iron grip. She did manage to retrieve her arm, but not before she felt a shock run through her hand from the elbow. She didn't know how or when Artemisia had done it, but the Amazon had twisted her arm in such a way as to pinch the nerves off momentarily. She grit her teeth. _Dammit. Here come the dirty tricks._ The two grappled with their hands and vied for position as the crowd unabashedly cheered for Artemisia.

Eponin watched through narrowed eyes from outside of the arena. "Don't let her get those legs up your sides!" she called out, hoping she could be heard through the din. She felt the large cat's presence at her side. Before she knew what she was doing she had a hand resting on his head. Mendi didn't flinch.

The Destroyer managed to follow Eponin's advice, pushing off so that Artemisia had her more by the hips than the waist. However, Artemisia made her pay for her every move. When her ribs were exposed she felt fingers jab sharply into them. Her breathing began to quicken, not from the exertion but from something else. _Oh shit. This has to stop._ Feeling her control slip, the Destroyer got her feet under her and stood up, Artemisia still firmly attached, then slammed the Amazon's back into the ground. The first time the Destroyer did this, Artemisia didn't let go, but the second time, she was forced to. The Destroyer stood up, free of the hold, and took a few steps back. Her breathing seemed to be running away from her, a tightness creeping into her throat. _Damn, I needed to get her off me bad. This ain't goin' my way. I don't feel so good._ She clenched her fists, despite Eponin having warned her against uselessly balling her hands. Artemisia smiled cruelly, getting back to her feet. The Destroyer stood her ground, but one fist was resting on her knee, her back slightly rounded. The young woman ran her hand over her face quickly, clearing the sweat while trying to clear her head as well. _Stick with this. Don't lose it. She's tryin' to rattle me. Can't let her._

Sensing it was time to press her advantage, Artemisia charged the Destroyer headlong. The Destroyer absorbed the impact and spun with it, ready to pitch Artemisia off to the side. However, Artemisia grabbed the Destroyer's wrist and added rotation of her own, simultaneously planting her foot next to her foe's as a pivot point. The Destroyer felt herself be pulled off-balance and was ready to ease into the fall when her eyes widened in surprise. A sharp pain shot through the Destroyer's mid-back and her knees buckled uselessly under her. The effect of Artemisia's covert pressure-point strike only lasted for a moment, but that was all it took. In a flash she found herself unceremoniously face-planted into the ground.

Artemisia was sitting on her back, her knees firmly bracketing the Destroyer's waist. She had the Destroyer's right arm wrenched painfully behind her in one hand, driving the bent arm up and forward and stressing the shoulder joint. Her other arm was snaked under the Destroyer's left arm so that her hand had leverage on the back of the neck. The strain on her shoulder was so painful it nearly took the pinned woman's breath away.

Artemisia leaned her head down close to her rival's ear, knowing she could not be dislodged. "Well, that was fun. You put on a decent show, monster, but it's over for you. Give in before I pop that shoulder straight out." She increased the pressure and the prone Destroyer grit her teeth, the pain flooding through her in waves. _What the fuck do I do now? I won't surrender. It would be so easy to wipe that smirk off her face right now, but I can't…_ Her preferred method of escape, a nose-breaking headbutt, would disqualify her. She didn't have much time to consider her options. Artemisia was putting nearly her full body weight on the twisted right arm.

Mendi, scared on behalf of his mistress, started to leap into the fray but was quickly snatched up by the scruff – Eponin had been ready. Seeing the commotion, Ephiny turned to the Champion's second, silently questioning whether to call the fight. Although Elena's eyes were narrowed at Eponin across the clearing, willing her aunt to surrender on behalf of her charge, Eponin shook her head no. The Destroyer had made her promise not to stop the fight no matter what, and she intended to keep that promise.

Artemisia was losing her patience. Her opponent had neither given up nor lost control, and she was becoming angry, feeling cheated of her satisfaction. "I said it's over!" she shouted loudly enough for those nearby to hear. "Yield to me or I'll break your arm for you!"

In that instant the Destroyer had a moment of clarity. She no longer felt the pain or the near-panic induced by being held down against her will. There was only one thing to do. "Fine, break it then!" she choked out before forcing her knees back up under her and driving her free hand into the ground, elbow up. With surprising speed given her disadvantaged position she kicked out hard and rotated her waist, flipping the two over so that they landed belly-up, the Destroyer crushing Artemisia down behind her against the ground. Artemisia was so surprised by the maneuver that she forgot to tuck her head. The Destroyer snarled pitifully as she felt her arm give way under her, but a triumphant feeling surged through her as she saw the back of Artemisia's head bounce with force off of the ground. This would be her one and only chance. Digging her heels into the ground she scraped Artemisia off of her back like bark from a tree until she could get her hip pressed against Artemisia's midsection. Before the stunned Amazon could react, the Destroyer whipped her uninjured left arm out wide and caught her opponent around the neck. Artemisia's training kicked in and she tried to pull her chin down to defend, but she was too slow. Outmatched and outplayed, the wild woman knew that brute strength and fortitude were the only advantages she had left, and she intended to use them. The moment she felt her forearm slide under Artemisia's chin, the Destroyer braced herself against the Amazon's stomach, squeezed her bicep against the side of her downed foe's neck, and pulled on Artemisia's head for all she was worth.


	16. Respect

The Destroyer's usable arm had a death grip around the neck of her nemesis, and she had no thought for anything except keeping hold. She couldn't tell whether Artemisia was even struggling anymore. It didn't matter.

Ephiny's eyes went wide as she saw the redhead go limp in the headlock, her face turning a deep scarlet. She wasn't about to wait for Elena's go-ahead. "Victory!" she cried out, but the Destroyer didn't seem to hear her.

Eponin and Elena both leapt the logs simultaneously from opposite sides of the clearing and ran to the entangled wrestlers. "Hey kid, let her go!" Eponin shouted. The Destroyer still didn't respond. Her face was nearly blank as she stared straight past her handler. She appeared entranced.

Elena was about to attempt to drag the Destroyer off of Artemisia when a large brown blur shot past her, cutting her off. Mendi leaped onto the Destroyer's lap and thrust his nose against hers, the fur on his neck and back raised. Eponin and Elena were surprised enough to stop in their tracks, especially when they saw that the young woman was gradually releasing her hold. Mendi bumped his head against the Destroyer's chin, prompting her to exhale deeply and drop Artemisia in a very distracted fashion.

Eponin took the opportunity to yank the Destroyer to her feet by her left arm, Mendi helping to nudge her from behind. The Queen Regent came between the combatants, staring down at the motionless Artemisia. Elena dropped to her knees beside the prone Amazon, a nagging tightness causing her chest to burn. She gripped a handful of red hair, careful not to move the head, and pulled hard. Artemisia's eyes shot open and she sucked in a deep breath. Her face had returned to its normal color. She looked up dizzily at Elena. "Hey gorgeous," she said almost casually. "Why's it still dark out?"

Elena revealed nothing in her face or manner as she hovered over Artemisia. "Don't get up," she commanded. "Can you move your fingers and toes?"

"Yeah, of course," Artemisia replied, reaching up to ruffle Elena's hair. When she began to sit up Elena kept a hand planted on her chest.

"I said don't move."

"Why?" Artemisia asked, still calm. "What happened?" Then her eyes went to the Destroyer standing next to the Queen Regent, flanked by Eponin and Mendi. "Oh no," she groaned, finally remembering what she had been doing before. "You can't be serious."

"Amazons! The winner of the contest is Artemis's Champion, Tira Darkheart!" Ephiny lifted the Destroyer's hand high into the air, making sure it was the left one. Some Amazons cheered, but overall the crowd's response was half-hearted.

"You can do better than that!" Eponin shouted, ill-tempered, but the Destroyer shook her head at her handler.

"I have somethin' ta say," she affirmed, not bothering to ask permission this time. The Queen Regent nodded, and the victor vaulted herself up onto the dais where Ephiny had been and Solari was still standing. Without warning she let out a bellow that could best be described as a roar, getting the crowd's attention. Every eye was on her.

"Listen up, Amazons!" she snarled, her full-throated voice carrying into the night. "I'm your Champion. You don't get a different one. I came here to kill Velasca, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I've locked blades with the Warrior Princess and lived to tell about it, and I wounded the God of War. I may not be what you want, but I'm what you need. You don't have to accept me. But you will respect me. I won't leave you until the job is done."

The crowd remained still, absorbing the words they had just heard, until one voice pierced the night. "Champion!" It was Chilapa. Making her way towards the dais, she looked squarely at the Destroyer, threw her fist into the air, and called again, "Champion!"

Soon several other Amazons joined her, taking up the chant. "Champion! Champion, champion, champion!" Eponin fell in with the chorus, as did many of the veteran Amazons. Near the funeral pyres, Lyri echoed the cry as well, seemingly forgetting her objections of the previous day. Amarice, standing near her, cracked a smile, but paused when she saw Cora beside her with her arms folded and a scowl on her lips.

"What's your problem?" she asked her best friend. "It was a good fight."

"How can they cheer her?" Cora spat. "She's born of evil. By the Goddess, she's the Destroyer!"

"Oh, get over yourself," Amarice chided. "I'm just happy that redheaded bitch got hers for a change. Look, she's getting up now. She's barely even hurt." Amarice stared up at the Destroyer with a measure of admiration in her cynical gaze. "Tira Darkheart's got a lot of nerve. She's all right. I'm willing to give her a chance."

"Whatever," Cora grumbled, looking away.

"How do you feel?" The Queen Regent was at the Destroyer's ear again.

"I feel sick. I mean great. I mean…both, I guess," the Destroyer admitted. Her adrenaline rush was wearing off, and her shoulder was beginning to burn.

"Enjoy the moment. You've earned it. You're not half bad at speeches, either. Looking to take a leadership position around here?"

This prompted a chuckle. "Oh, damn, no way. Please tell me there's no after party."

"First of all, don't forget this is a funeral," Ephiny chided. "And secondly, the only thing you'll be doing now is seeing a healer. I know your arm's broken." The Queen Regent exhaled forcefully. "Couldn't you have made your point without losing your battle-readiness? What if we were attacked tomorrow?"

"I'll be all right. Just, y'know, have someone get me and Mendi out of here. Eponin maybe. Or Sol – ah, shit, Solari. She's not mad at me, is she?"

At that moment the First Officer silently crossed behind the Destroyer and tapped her on her good shoulder. "No," she offered tersely before climbing off of the dais and approaching the arena.

On the ground, Artemisia had gotten to her feet despite Elena's attempts to keep her still. She stared up at the victorious Destroyer, still being cheered by at least half of the sisters despite a noticeable minority that kept quiet. "I can't believe I lost," she forced out through gritted teeth, but it was obvious her disappointment was primarily in herself. "It's really over. She beat me bad." Sighing, she turned to Elena, who stood in front of her with folded arms. "I feel pretty rough. Let's get out of here."

Instead of replying, Elena reached over and then slapped Artemisia full in the face with the back of her hand, nearly knocking her down. The shorter woman spun on her heel and stalked off, leaving Artemisia to rub her stinging cheek in shock. "What the –"

"You know, I was tempted to do the same thing, but she beat me to it."

Artemisia stared at her feet as she heard the words. "Mother." Feeling the beginning of hot tears forming at the corners of her eyes, she whispered, "I did everything I could. I tried so hard."

"You tried everything except the right thing," Solari answered more gently. "You know what you have to do."

"Yeah, find Elena." Artemisia started to walk off before Solari stopped her, causing her to wince.

"Not a chance. You're going to the healer."

"Not the man!" Artemisia gasped, horrified.

"Yes, him. You were hurt, and you're going to be checked out. Leave Elena to cool off. Isn't it obvious she doesn't want you to see how badly you hurt her?"

"How badly I…huh? You're not making any sense!"

"Just do what I tell you, for once," Solari groaned before making her way over to Eponin, the conversation over.

The Destroyer and Mendi had snuck away from the funeral with the assistance of Eponin and Solari and were making their way around the outer edge of town, towards the infirmary. Suddenly Mendi turned to look behind him with a hiss. "Destroyer."

The young woman faced her follower, nudging her cat with her foot to calm him down. "Yeah?" she questioned impatiently, her hand absentmindedly going to her other arm. The throbbing was starting to bother her more and more.

The dark-haired Amazon stepped out into the moonlight so she could be seen more clearly. Elena's eyes were hard.

"You got a problem, huh? You pissed I beat on your girl?" She took a couple steps forward, ready for anything but feeling far too spent for a fight. _If she wants trouble I got half a mind to let Mendi take care of her._

Elena also took two steps forward, sticking her chin out defiantly. "You could have taken her from me," she said, her voice revealing more than she wanted it to.

"And?" the Destroyer growled.

"And you didn't. Thank you." Elena took a deep breath. "When I found out about who you really were I assumed the worst. I apologize."

The Amazon's confession was met with a half-shrug. "Happens. I'm used to it. S'not important anymore."

Elena nodded in understanding. "What of your anger towards Artemisia? Will it live on beyond tonight?"

"I guess that depends on her. Gotta be goin," the Destroyer finished as she began to leave.

"Tell the healer your arm was forced forward and in, or it won't be set correctly," Elena replied as she made her own exit.

Sedgik was sitting on the edge of a cot, alone in the candlelight except for the quiet snores of a few invalid Amazons, when the Destroyer and Mendi cautiously opened the door. Once inside the young woman swallowed hard as she regarded the healer, not knowing what to say after her forward display that morning. Sedgik didn't acknowledge her at all, even though she was right in front of him. Unable to tolerate being without words she let cockiness take over. "I won," she bragged coolly. Mendi went into the washroom and leapt up on a tabletop where he began to drink from a bowl of clean water left sitting out.

"I know," Sedgik replied. "I could hear them chanting 'Champion' from here. Wasn't hard to figure out what happened." He raised his eyes to her slowly, almost shyly. "I waited for you. I didn't want for you to be hurt, but I figured it was more likely than not. How bad is it?"

"You know, I didn't come here just to get patched up!" she snapped.

"Did you come here to boast, then?" She couldn't read the tone of his voice.

"Forget why I came, I'm here now, yeah?"

"Oh, by the Gods."

"What?"

Sedgik gaped at her. He had noticed an abnormal posture when the young woman first walked in, but only now did his trained eye appreciate how she held her right arm protectively against her body as a reflex. "Can you move that arm?"

"Sure," she answered dismissively.

He narrowed his eyes. "All right, show me." There was an uncomfortable pause, during which time the Destroyer remained still. "I'm waiting."

"I can move this arm any time I want."

"Stop messing around, Tira Darkheart." He spoke firmly, but concern was evident behind the command. "For all I know the blood supply's been cut off and every moment that goes by you're one step closer to losing that arm. Now let me look at it while it's still possible to help you." He motioned towards a spot beside him on the cot.

"I bet I can pop it back in on my own."

"No, you shouldn't even try something like that! Look, Tira Darkheart, I'm sorry about earlier. I reacted badly when I heard you were going to fight. I was worried about you, that's all. I may not share your priorities, but I should have been more understanding that it was important to you. You did your job tonight. Now let me do mine." His eyes softened. "Please."

_ I guess he isn't mad about that kiss business,_ she mused as she cautiously approached him. As she took her seat next to him on the cot she felt herself getting shaky again. "This is probably a bad time to mention that I don't like being touched. And I really can't stand to be touched when I'm injured."

"I need you to trust me," he insisted, moving his face closer to hers. "I only want to help you."

Something told the Destroyer he was no longer speaking of her arm. "There's no fixin' certain things, Sedgik."

"We'll see." She closed her eyes when she felt his lips brush hers.


	17. Fix Me Now

He was kissing her. She felt something within her stir.

"Hey, wha?" Sedgik was taken by surprise when her good arm flashed up to grab the back of his head and pull him in tighter. It was nearly as intense as the kiss she had stolen from him earlier in the day. Her fingers gripped his dark blond hair tightly. Although he felt his own body responding to the assault, he gently pushed her face away. "Hold on, now. Take it easy. You're injured."

"I'm also hungry," she replied, her tone half a purr, half a growl. She ran her fingertips down his bare chest where his shirt hung open.

"You can't be serious. Tira Darkheart, your arm is useless and that's just the injury I know of. Calm down, all right? Let me do my work. We have plenty of time for, er, other things."

"Heh. Sorry," the Destroyer agreed. Her cheeks had colored. "I think after awhile aggression just bleeds into other things."

"But aren't you exhausted?"

"Still riding the high a bit. When it's over, I'm going to feel like dog shit, so I'm not looking forward to that." She gave him a toothy smile. "So keep me excited."

"Well, uh…I do need to take off your shirt, I mean wrap, I mean whatever it is." Sedgik was now blushing as well. _This is no good. I need to stay professional. It's not like I've never seen a body before. I am a healer, after all. This shouldn't be any different than treating any of the other Amazons._ The young man's body was not cooperating with his attempt at restraint. He silently prayed the Destroyer would not look down at him as he slid off of the cot. "I need a blade. It'll be safer to cut these wraps off so you don't have to move. Stay still for a moment." While Sedgik rummaged through his supplies, the Destroyer motioned Mendi over to her. After she whispered in his ear he made his way out the door. Sedgik returned to where she was sitting to find her undoing her hair braid with her left hand. As he stood between her knees with a small knife and a cup, she hooked her heels around his thighs and pulled him closer, almost making him trip. "Hey, careful. I'm holding a knife." His body was nearly pressed against the slicked-up wrestler. "Don't move. I'm going to get this off of you." The Destroyer chewed her lip as Sedgik slid the blade up between her breasts to cut the linens binding them. She was not at all comfortable with someone holding a knife so close to her heart, even if it was Sedgik. He made short work of it, however, and she took a deep breath as soon as she was free. The wraps had been tight enough to keep her ribs from expanding as much as they could, even during the exertion of the fight. As she did this, her chest rose up closer to Sedgik's face. He paused for a moment where he was, not realizing he was staring and it was obvious.

The Destroyer chuckled. She still didn't care for being handled, but she was discovering that she liked being admired. "You can touch them if you want," she teased. Sedgik seemed to consider it as he put the knife down on the cot, then shook his head clear.

"Oh not you don't. I've still got to examine you."

"Well I'd much rather you handle those than my arm, for obvious reasons," she grumbled. "Those don't hurt." She shifted slightly, frowning. "Take that back. I think they got a bit mashed. Ow."

"You're starting to feel the effects of the fight, aren't you?" Sedgik asked, concerned. "Here, drink this." He handed her a cup filled with a steaming liquid.

"What is it?"

"Pain relief tea. It'll make all of this easier on you. I made it a little while back."

"Ahhh no ya don't. I don't think so. I'm not keen to be doped up, Sedgik."

"It shouldn't affect your senses. It'll just take the edge off. What's wrong? You're done fighting today. You're safe here."

"I don't take anything that affects my control," she argued. "You don't understand."

"So you don't ever drink at a tavern? I find that unusual for an adventurer." The Destroyer said nothing and looked away. "That's what I thought. This would be nothing compared to one night on the town. Just drink it." He pushed the cup into her left hand, brooking no argument. "I'm going to need to move that arm soon, and I don't want to cause you any more pain than I have to. Now what happened?"

"Red twisted it behind my back and was going to break it. I flipped us both over while she was still holding it and landed on it with my full weight." She thought for an instant. "It got forced forward and in," she added, remembering Elena's advice. Then she downed her tea in one gulp.

"Hm," he nodded. "You may have a tear on the top or the back of your shoulder, then. That's why you can't pick it up. So your escape didn't work?" he asked her, trying to distract her as he gently laid a hand on her deltoid muscle. "Some swelling, but it could be worse," he muttered to himself.

"No, it did. That's how I was able to distract her. Her head smacked the ground pretty hard," she chuckled.

"You mean you ALLOWED your arm to be dislocated? Why would you do that?" Sedgik gasped.

"So I could win," she answered calmly. "One way or another, she was going to tear out my arm. I wasn't going to give up. I figured if I had to take the injury, I was going to use it to my advantage."

"Unbelievable," Sedgik whistled. "I'll never understand warriors. I never would have done that." He frowned as he looked at her shoulder again. It had pulled further forward in the time since she had come to see him, and he could see bruising starting to form around the collarbone's intersection with the joint. "I think you broke this, too," he sighed, pointing at her collarbone without touching it. "That's going to take a long time to heal."

"No it won't," the Destroyer laughed.

"Is that tea working yet? Anything I do from this point on is not going to feel one bit good."

"Not so much," she admitted. "I think I have a certain resistance to that kind of thing. People have tried to poison me before. It didn't work."

Sedgik paled. "By the gods," he whispered. He looked into her eyes, his own sparkling with empathy. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the people who've tried to harm you. No wonder you think you have to be hard all the time. You deserved to see a better side to humanity than that."

"Not necessarily," the Destroyer answered, suddenly feeling guilty. "Look, Sedgik, there's something you really need to know about – mmph!"

He was kissing her again, but very gently. She allowed him to. _Dammit, he seems to think I'm this poor wounded animal and he just will not come off of it. He doesn't understand that there's so much more to my situation than that. He just wants to mend me. He really thinks he can. Could he…could he be right? Should I actually let him try? Right about now I don't want to say no to anything he's doing, even if he is about to reset my arm._

He pulled back again. She looked at him, and to her relief she did not find pity in his gaze. That would have been an insult she could not take. Something in his expression looked familiar, however, and she tried to place it. The Destroyer had the feeling that when Sedgik laid eyes on her, he saw a very different creature than she believed herself to be. Whatever her life had been to this point, he had a different vision for her. The way he looked at her just then, seeming to have total confidence in her virtue and her integrity, reminded her of something she had witnessed herself not long before.

She thought back to the time she had spent with Gabrielle and the Warrior Princess. Specifically, she recalled the crushing doubt that Xena had regarding whether having Gabrielle with her was really the best thing for the battling bard's future.

_You have no idea what it's like to know you're the most destructive thing in a loved one's life!_ Xena was right, she didn't, because she'd never loved any human, except perhaps for the warped loyalty she'd felt for her abusive father before his death. But she was starting to understand the concern one could have that someone's impression of her was not correct, overly optimistic to say the least, and that it would end up causing that person harm. The look in Sedgik's eyes was not so different from the look in Gabrielle's when she spoke of Xena. _Oh, shit. I wonder how well Gabrielle really knew Xena when she started to travel with her. I wonder if she'd still have made that journey if she had all the information about Xena that she does now. You damned fool boy. You think I'm some kind of goddess._ She gulped hard. _If only you didn't smell so damned good I'd have an easier time discouraging you!_ "Don'cha, er, have to fix me up or somethin'?" she murmured halfheartedly.

Sedgik shook his head. "I was hoping the tea would have taken the edge off by now. It's not just about the pain. I need you to relax, or this won't work well. Your muscles will fight back on their own otherwise. Where's Mendi? I thought him being here might be good for you."

"I sent him on an errand. He should be right – huh?"

As if on cue, Mendi burst through the door, the Destroyer's clothes on his back and her blade in his teeth, but as soon as he entered the healer's hut, he dropped the knife on the floor, whirled around, and hissed at the door, fur raised.

"What in Hades…?" Sedgik began, taken completely by surprise. The door of the hut was tentatively nudged open. Mendi continued to hiss, slowly backing towards his mistress before jumping up beside her on the cot, never averting his eyes from the object of his displeasure. At last the door creaked open to reveal a battered and weary Artemisia standing awkwardly at the threshold. "Can I help you?" Sedgik asked before realizing what had transpired. He could see that Artemisia was dressed just the same as the Destroyer had been. Suddenly, he got the feeling he did not want to be standing between the two young women.

"Yeah, I need help. Do your thing, mister," Artemisia muttered, not looking up. Mendi continued to growl and sputter at her, still furious at what she had done to his friend not long before. The Destroyer never acknowledged the Amazon, stroking Mendi's fur to calm him down.

Sedgik regarded her carefully. "Aren't you the one always shouting obscenities at me every time you see me? There aren't too many tall redheads around here, so I'm pretty sure that was you."

"So what if I did?" Artemisia snapped, but without her typical venom. "Anyhow, I got hurt. Isn't it your job to patch me up? That's what we keep you around for."

Sedgik nodded, his face revealing nothing. "Yes, it is. I do have to finish up with her first, but if you just sit over there…" He motioned to the far corner, putting as much distance as he could between the former combatants, just to be on the safe side. Mendi clearly did not want the Amazon anywhere near the Destroyer, although the brown-haired woman still remained unconcerned.

"Eh, go see what her problem is," the Destroyer whispered to Sedgik. "I'm not in any hurry for you to do this. It ain't gonna be pretty, and I know that."

"But I haven't even checked you over for other injuries yet."

"I don't have anything serious, or at least nothing that won't be gone tomorrow. Go on. Deal with her and then come back." The truth was that the Destroyer did need time to collect herself before the ordeal she knew was to come. She wasn't worried about the pain. She was worried about what she might do to the man causing it, if she couldn't control her reaction.

Sedgik could not make out the Destroyer's motives, but he decided to go along with her request. "All right. Well, lay flat on your back here and try not to move around any more. I know you want to keep that arm pulled close, but let the shoulder fall back if you can." The Destroyer complied, allowing Mendi to crawl up on her left side and lay on her. Although the cat was heavy, she found his weight comforting. She watched with interest as Sedgik went over to Artemisia.

"What's the problem here?" the healer asked the ill-tempered redhead as she sat on another empty cot.

"I…can't turn my head," the Amazon grumbled under her breath. On her own cot, the Destroyer stifled a snicker. She listened carefully as Sedgik negotiated an examination of the redhead's injuries. Artemisia was unfailingly rude, but for the most part compliant. The Destroyer thought that her surliness didn't have its normal edge. She also noticed how differently Sedgik spoke to Artemisia than he did to her. He took all her animosity in stride, remaining polite throughout his work, but his tone was clinical and professional. When they had been alone, the Destroyer recalled how much warmer he had been with her, even as he had been doing his job. After a while Sedgik determined that Artemisia had a mild concussion, strained neck muscles and a possible sprain, and a couple cracked ribs. He instructed her to lie motionless on her back as he piled cushioning up around her head and neck to immobilize it. Then he threw a warm blanket over her and returned to the Destroyer.

"Let's get it done," she told him when he stood over her once more.

"Do you need something to bite down on?" he asked, concerned.

"Nope." She motioned Mendi to jump down from her chest. She was aware that Artemisia was watching them both.

"Are you sure? It might be safer."

"It'll be all right." Mendi had already run into another room and hidden himself under a cot, on his mistress's instruction. She did not want him to see what was happening to her.

"All right. Here we go. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, then don't move." Sedgik bent her elbow and rested her forearm against her middle, then before the Destroyer could think about it too much was resetting her shoulder. For the first time she felt the full force of his strength. His grip was unyielding as he slowly drove the joint back into position. There was no quick "pop". Instead, the pressure seemed only to grow more intense. The Destroyer's vision went white. It hurt far more to have it put in than it had when she had first injured it. She wanted to scream, to curse, to thrash, escape, anything. She forced a rising cry back into her throat, only allowing a choked-on yelp to escape. It was over in moments, and Sedgik, without letting the shoulder go, was reaching for a wrap with his other hand. "I'm going to sit you up now. Don't move yet." He slid his free hand under her back, effortlessly lifting her without jostling her arm. Then he fashioned a sling out of the wrap to hold his work in place. Though he had never hurried, he had gotten through the entire process with surprising speed. When he was satisfied her arm would not move, he tied off the wrap. She looked up into his face, aware that her eyes were stinging and knowing full well what that meant. _Oh please don't try to wipe off my cheek. Please don't do it. I will want to smack you._

To her relief, he did not acknowledge her tears, but his face was full of concern. He was no longer her healer. He was the man who wanted to be her friend, and perhaps something more. "I can't believe you didn't cry out. I've seen grown men reduced to babbling idiots from that." He reached over and stroked her hair. Forcing herself to stay calm, she closed her eyes. She knew he was trying to connect with her. She also knew Artemisia was still watching them. _Be fun to rankle her a bit more._ She leaned in and kissed him softly. He smiled and sighed when she pulled away. "I was afraid you might be mad at me."

"Why?"

"For hurting you like that."

"Oh for – you did your job. You helped me out. I should be thanking you." She put her free hand on his shoulder. "And now I need you to do something else for me. Go home. Get out of this place and get some rest in your own bed."

"What? You mean just leave you here?" He was draping a blanket over her shoulders like a shawl. "But I was going to keep an eye on you during the night."

"I'll have Mendi. If something happens he can go get you. It'll be all right. I promise. Now get movin'. I'll see you tomorrow."

Sedgik looked somewhat cautiously over his shoulder at Artemisia. Although he had told her to stay still, he was not sure what would transpire between the former combatants in his absence. "Well, all right. But if you need anything at all I want to know about it." Sedgik called over his shoulder to Artemisia. "That goes for you too. If you start getting a headache, send for me." He got only a grumble in response. "You ladies behave," he scolded as he left.


	18. Mirror Mirror

_Author's Note: Hey folks, sorry it's been so long since I've added a chapter. I did not forget about the Destroyer's exploits in the Xenaverse, I just had more pressing matters to attend to, like the semester from hell. Part II is nearly drawing to a close (one more section, to be posted quite soon). It was originally supposed to end with the battle between the Destroyer and Velasca, but there was a lot to fit in there and so Part III will actually deal with that. Stay tuned for the last section of this story as you will see some characters you are likely to have missed which figure prominently in Part III. I'm not sure when I will get Part III up and running because I have been returning to some of my original (i.e. non fanfic) works of late and they might have priority. Nevertheless, I would like to see this story come full circle, so I would like to do Part III before my next field season in the fall. Enough rambling. Enjoy, and keep your eyes peeled for the final chapter to be up soon._

The Destroyer laid back on her cot and closed her eyes. As she expected, within moments a shadow fell over her and Mendi hissed loudly, growling and spitting. She grabbed him by the scruff with her left hand, the signal to calm down. "Thought you weren't supposed to be moving."

"I'm not hurt. I just won't move my head, that's all," came the petulant reply.

The Destroyer looked up at Artemisia and smirked. "That's what I said about my arm too. Sedgik begged to differ."

"What, are you going to sit there and tell me to lie down again?"

The Destroyer scrunched up her nose, then closed her eyes once more. "I don't care what you do." A few moments of silence passed between the two young women. Finally, after she realized Artemisia was still standing over her, the Destroyer asked the Amazon, "What?"

"What's with that cat?"

"He's my brother. He doesn't like you."

"How do you know what he likes? He's a cat."

The Destroyer raised an eyebrow at Artemisia. "That was a dumb thing to say. You know better than that."

"I guess he is pretty much always with you," Artemisia grumbled. She rubbed her hand against her opposite arm and looked at her feet.

"Like I said, he's my brother. But you didn't come over here to talk about Mendi, did you?" The Destroyer's question was genuine. She knew Artemisia had something on her mind on account of her strange behavior, but she still wasn't able to guess the redhead's motives.

"So your arm's trashed now," Artemisia offered.

"Yeah. Ephiny wasn't happy. She asked what would happen if we were attacked tomorrow."

"You let me force it out on purpose," the Amazon replied. The Destroyer couldn't identify the meaning behind her tone.

"Well, not really. I couldn't get outta the hold without a foul. So I had no choice but to give up on it and try something different."

"You could have yielded!" the redhead snapped, clearly frustrated.

"But then I'da lost," the wild girl replied matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, that was the point!" Artemisia huffed.

"Doncha get it? I couldn't lose, no matter what. Would you have yielded?"

"No…" Artemisia answered quietly before rediscovering her ire. "But you're not like me! You couldn't have wanted it as badly! Why should something like that matter to you, enough that you'd take it that far?"

"Honor. Ya challenged my honor, Red. I could never give in after that."

"What could you know of honor, though? You're the Destroyer, not an Amazon sister! You're always alone! You have no tribe, no band, no family! Why would honor matter to you?"

The Destroyer scoffed. "You mean to tell me you measure honor by what some group thinks of ya? Ridiculous. It's about you, dumbass. It's so you can stand to wake up to yourself. Don't tell me you're only in it for appearances!"

Artemisia's face got nearly as red as her hair. "Of course not! You think I don't have my pride at stake?"

"All right. That's better, then," the Destroyer nodded approvingly.

"Well, why should I care what you think about it anyhow?"

"That's your problem, not mine. Your reasons are your business."

"Damn right, and don't you forget it," the tall girl affirmed. "So you really just decided you wouldn't lose no matter what, and that was it?" she asked more quietly.

"Yeah. I mean, in a way, I was screwed, so I had to improvise anyhow."

"How can you say that? You won. You beat me down."

"That's just it, though. I beat you down with strength and cunning, that's all. You had the greater skill. Playing by your rules, my chances were pretty slim."

A smile played at Artemisia's lips as she realized the Destroyer was complimenting her. "You're different from what I thought you were. First I figured you were all talk because you wouldn't fight anyone, and that I could show you up in front of the whole tribe. Then when I heard you were Dahak's Destroyer I thought you were just some kind of brute. But you were never worried at all, because you knew what you could do if you had to." A look of worry crossed Artemisia's face. "Shit, no wonder Queen Ephiny is pissed. What WILL you do when Velasca attacks?"

"This will heal in a week or so. If not I'll just tie my arm down and deal with it."

"A week? No way. Unless…it has do with being the Destroyer, right?"

She showed her dagger-like canines in a toothy grin. "Yup."

"You're a freak," Artemisia told her straightforwardly, without malice.

"Never said I wasn't, Red. Hey," the Destroyer asked, peering more closely at Artemisia's face. "Where'd ya get that huge welt on your cheek? I didn't hit you there, unless you fell on it."

"Err, no. Elena did that," Artemisia replied, looking away.

"What for?"

"I dunno!" she protested loudly, spreading her arms helplessly. "I wanted to ask her but she just walked away from me after she slapped me and then Mother made me come here."

"Oh. I saw her," the Destroyer answered casually.

"Really? When? What happened?"

"Outside of here. She more or less thanked me for not killing you, since I easily could have."

"Who said it would be easy for you?" Artemisia shot back, her temper flaring again. Then she smiled as if suddenly distracted. "She was worried about me. I guess she really does care."

"Why wouldn't she care? I thought you guys were like a pair or something."

"Sometimes it's hard to tell from someone who doesn't show her emotions – wait, what am I telling you for? You don't know anything about love."

The Destroyer nodded. "That's true. It doesn't make any sense to me, and I've never known it. I've only seen it in others. I do know about holding back. It only works about half the time. My emotions are either on, or off. That's it." Intelligent brown eyes searched Artemisia's face, attempting to understand what went on in the Amazon's head. "Speaking of me killing you, you knew that I could. You knew it the whole time, ever since you found out what I am."

"So what?"

"It didn't stop you from pushing me. You WANTED me to snap. There were a few times you probably could have ended the fight. You drew it out, tortured me on purpose, testing me."

"Yeah, all that's true. What of it, Destroyer? You think you're smart now?"

"You weren't afraid of me," she concluded, scratching her head with her good arm as she looked down in puzzlement. Mendi had since taken refuge under the cot, staring daggers up at Artemisia.

"Damn right I wasn't," the redhead smirked, enjoying her pyrrhic victory. She decided to needle her foe a bit more. "How does THAT make you feel? How is it to know you can't just strut around and intimidate anyone you want, huh?"

"I...don't know," the girl answered honestly. Typically this would be the point in the conversation at which the Destroyer would shut down, stop communicating, and leave, pondering her thoughts alone in private. Being forced to socialize almost constantly had begun to sink in somewhat. She absentmindedly repeated what came into her head, almost ignoring Artemisia. "In a sense, I like that you aren't afraid of me. It reduces the distance – no. No, see, that's the problem! People have to know to be afraid so they stay away. If they lose that fear, and they don't get away from me, that's when they get hurt. When everyone is afraid it's better for me and them both."

This was not the answer Artemisia had expected. She could not help taking a step backward in shock. It had never occurred to her that the Destroyer, who was still virtually ignoring her all of a sudden, had intimidated people for any reason other than a power trip or a feeling of superiority. She never understood the role it played in forestalling conflict and, ultimately, violence. For the first time, it struck Artemisia that the Destroyer did not necessarily go through life alone by choice. Her cheeks reddened again, as was their habit, but not from anger or excitement. The Amazon found herself feeling somewhat bad for the young woman in spite of herself. She gazed down at the champion, who flicked her eyes quickly back and forth, still lost in her own world. _Oh wow, she's checked out. Did I do this? It wouldn't be the first time I said the wrong thing._ Artemisia could not believe that she was raising her hand, reaching out towards the dirt-streaked but strangely pale face in front of her. "Tira Darkheart..."

"Don't you care if you die?" the Destroyer interrupted suddenly, snapping her head upwards to look the Amazon straight in the eye.

Feeling awkward, Artemisia let her hand drop. _That was abrupt._ "Of course I do. I don't want to die. I know it comes off like I don't care about anything half the time. That's just me being a world-class bitch, I guess. It's in my nature. But at the end of the day, I actually have it pretty good here."

"But you aren't afraid to risk your life," the brown-haired woman reiterated.

"Well, yeah. I mean, like I said, I don't want to die, but Amazons are warriors. We don't shrink from death if it's for the right purpose. Besides, that's part of the point of BEING a sister of the tribe. We women may die, but the tribe lives forever. The Amazon Nation will never die, so in a way, we don't die either. Get it? If you die as an Amazon, a part of you will always live on in the hearts of your sisters."

The Destroyer's jaw dropped. Artemisia was beaming, so confident in her proclamation of pseudo-immortality. She believed she had impressed her conversation partner with a brilliant stroke of wisdom. Instead, the Destroyer picked up the ball of wraps that had been around her chest and threw them straight into Artemisia's face with her left hand. They smacked her in the forehead. "What the – why did you do that, dammit?" she demanded, flustered and angry.

"Stop bein' an idiot. I was startin' to believe maybe you weren't the moron you appeared to be, but you're makin' me reconsider. That is the dumbest shit I have heard in a long time." The dark brown eyes hardened as they stared straight through the taller girl. "You can't live on through others, Amazon. Your one life is all you got. Once you're gone, you're gone, and ain't nothin' short of a god's work can bring you back. And who's to say the tribe will always be around, anyhow? Look around you. For years now all kinds of bastards been linin' up to take their shot at the Amazons. You're losing lands left and right. You better wake up and realize the only thing you can depend on is yourself."

Artemisia was shaking with rage. Those were fighting words if she ever heard them. The Destroyer was attacking everything she held dear. She felt betrayed. Moments before she had felt a connection with the strange young woman. Now she was almost ready to start another brawl. "How can you be so mean?" she spat.

The champion was unmoved. "I'm not. I'm doin' you a favor, dumbass."

Artemisia would not be placated so easily. "Fine then. You can die, right?"

"Been close many times."

"But you aren't afraid, are you?"

"Nope."

"Well then, what's your excuse? You're not immortal, and you don't believe in others carrying on your spirit. So you have to believe that when you die that's just the end of you. What makes you so damn fearless? Don't you value YOUR life?"

The Destroyer flicked her eyes away from Artemisia. "I'm not sure," she answered quietly, reaching down to rest her fingers on Mendi's waiting head.

Artemisia's bluster deflated instantly. She felt a strange kind of shame come over her. She could have sworn she saw a trace of something like sadness in the other girl's gaze. _I don't get it. She may be some kind of monster but on the other hand she's so strong, so quick, so confident. She has all the qualities I could want for myself. Why doesn't it matter to her? Why doesn't she take any comfort in the fact that she really is something more than we can ever hope to be?_ For the second time in their conversation, the Amazon felt herself start to reach out towards the other young woman. She was coming to understand that she had developed admiration for her over the course of the evening. Her hatred had transformed into near-reverence once she began to see glimpses of the Destroyer as a person instead of a demon, and now, she wanted to make amends for her previous behavior. She stopped herself from touching the disheveled brown hair at the last second, kicking herself. _She's not my sister Amazon, and she'd be the first to say so. I can't comfort her as if she was. Especially not after what I did during our fight. But what else can I do? _"You think you'll be healed up pretty soon?" she asked casually.

"Should be," the champion affirmed.

"Until it's time for us to fight Velasca, I'm going to train you in wrestling," Artemisia declared. "Then the next time you won't have to get by on luck and guts."

"Why should I want to learn wrestling?" the Destroyer laughed, laying back on her cot as Mendi curled up next to her. "I can fight. I can brawl better than anyone. What use is wrestling with all its damn rules?"

"You're just saying that because you don't have any skill," Artemisia challenged, narrowing her eyes. "What kind of warrior would pass up a new technique, anyway? I'd have thought you'd jump at the chance."

The wild woman shook her head, grinning. "I should be teaching you how to fight, not the other way 'round, Red."

"Yeah, well, I...don't have the right to ask you to train me," she muttered.

The Destroyer raised her eyebrows as comprehension dawned. _I get it. Showing me how to wrestle is a gift. I beat her, so she feels like she has an obligation to me now that she needs to settle. If I turn her down, I'm taking away her chance to show me respect._ "Fine. But you'll have to be patient if I'm not too enthusiastic, especially after what happened tonight."

"Fair enough."

"That, and I don't like the idea of owing you anything, so I'm going to show you a few tricks of my own."

"Oh." Artemisia looked away and muttered, "thanks." After a few more moments in which the silence hung heavy in the air, the Amazon spoke up hesitantly. "Tira Darkheart?"

"What now? You oughtta quit talkin' and start sleepin'."

"You're right, I just – you're really going to do this? You'll stay and fight Velasca?"

The Destroyer sighed heavily. "You're being stupid again."

"I know. I'm not really used to putting my trust in anyone who's not an Amazon. I know you just put yourself on the line to prove you deserve to be one of us, though."

"I'm not one of you," came the grumbled reply.

"Right, but you'll stay, because you made a promise to Artemis."

"No," she growled in exasperation. "I made a promise to myself, which is way more important. I'd never let myself back down from this challenge. I'm finally going to take down a god, just like I was born to do. Besides, I consider it a favor to someone I respect."

"Who's that?" the redhead asked, intrigued.

"Your queen." The champion closed her eyes, finally weary of the other's questions and wanting some much-needed rest. She was in more pain than she cared to admit.

"Gabrielle? So you really do know her?"

"Yeah. She and Xena aren't too bad at all. They even helped me out. Doesn't bother me to do 'em a good turn when it's something I wanted to do anyhow."

"I haven't seen Queen Gabrielle since..." Artemisia trailed off, remembering how she stood behind her weeping mother and watched twin funeral pyres. At the time, she hadn't comprehended why her tribe mourned a dead boy and a centaur so deeply.

"You ever quit talkin'?" the young woman on the cot groused.

"There better be a story for that meeting sometime later," Artemisia answered as she gingerly made her way back to her own cot.

The Destroyer's eyes snapped back open. "You mean you wanna hear me tell a story? Like a bard?"

"Yeah, sure, like a bard if you want, just as long as I get to hear about Xena and Gabrielle," she answered as she too started to drift off to sleep.

"And me," the Destroyer muttered to herself, putting her good arm behind her head, a self-satisfied grin on her face. "A story about me."

She thought that Artemisia had fallen asleep when a short while later she heard from across the room, "You better heal as quick as you say you do."

"It'll go a lot faster if someone lets me sleep," she shot back in annoyance.

"Aw, get over yourself, Destroyer."


	19. Epilogue

Ares reclined thoughtfully in his throne, alone in the Halls of War. He was considering the events he had set in motion with some amusement. Things were starting to get more complicated, but he liked the excitement. Velasca was turning out to be an eager puppet, jumping at his every command. _I wonder if she would be so enthusiastic a partner if she knew I was planning not only for her to be killed by the Destroyer, but for her precious Amazon Nation to drown in its own blood. She's so blinded by her lust for control over mere mortals that she doesn't see how destructive this civil war would ultimately be. Of course, that's the fun of it all._

Still, his plan wasn't completely without its holes. Outsiders were threatening to make an even bigger mess of his carefully orchestrated disaster. The Amazons would have no way of knowing, Velasca hadn't detected them, and Artemis wouldn't understand the significance, but two separate contingents of Romans were running around the outskirts of Amazon lands. Considering that different Amazon villages were falling out into those loyal to Ephiny and Gabrielle and those rebelling under Velasca and Iphianassa, it would not be unexpected for them to run into those Romans. Ares didn't want that. Divided and distracted, the Amazons would be easy prey for predatory legions. He wanted to make sure his war was amusing enough to make it worth all the effort he was putting into it, and having Romans pick off Amazon stragglers wasn't sporting, in his mind. Not that he wanted the bloodlust of the Romans to go to waste. _No, I'm more than happy to have the Romans pillage and loot elsewhere, as long as they stay out of the way. And I think I have the perfect solution._ Ares smiled as he thought of the neighboring Centaur towns not far from the edge of Amazon hunting grounds. _That'll teach them to make peace with the Amazons. Let's see how the survivors like living the rest of their lives put to hard labor._

"It's so beautiful, isn't it, Xena?"

Xena peered down from astride Argo at the valley below, a landscape that held so many memories for them both. The sun was setting over Amazon and Centaur territory, stretching as far as they could see from the ridgetop trail they had been following. The warrior did not answer her blonde companion right away.

"Xena! Hey! You there?" Gabrielle nudged Xena's boot with her elbow, staring up at her best friend. The bard frowned slightly. "Are you all right?"

"Wha – huh? Yeah. What were we talking about again?"

"All I said was that this view was beautiful, with the long shadows and the deep red sky. Then you zoned out on me."

"Right. Sorry. Just thinking, I guess."

Gabrielle rested her hand tenderly on Xena's knee. "No, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about where we were." She sighed deeply. "We've both been through a lot in this valley. We can go another way if you'd like."

Xena shook her head resolutely. "No, we're checking in with our old friends now that we've made it back from the East." She didn't mention the reason, but they both knew it well enough – now that Gabrielle had seen the vision of their deaths at the hands of the Romans. They had no idea how much longer they might be around, so they wanted to see the people that mattered to them at least one last time. They had already run into Joxer and stopped to see Xena's mother in Amphipolis. "We should visit with the Amazons and the Centaurs."

"You're right. Listen, Xena, if you need some space while we're down here, I'll understand."

"Don't worry about it..." The Warrior Princess's voice trailed off as she squinted her eyes and looked to the north.

Gabrielle recognized that tone. "What is it?"

"There's a Roman legion crossing into the valley from the other side. It looks like they've set up camp."

"What do you think they're doing all the way over here?"

"Nothing good," Xena rumbled. "They're closer to where the Centaurs live. Let's make our way there first and see if they're in any danger."

_Author's Note: This will be the end of Act II. I told you some rather important folks were coming back. After all, this is a Xena fanfic, is it not? Act III may be some time in coming due to other priorities, including other writing priorities. However, to tide folks over, there will be some "lost chapters" coming up soon detailing the Destroyer's time with the Amazons and filling in some character background. It's not strictly necessary to read them if you just want to keep up with the main story, but I think they'll be fun. Keep your eyes peeled!_


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